(Page 3) JUNJIN NAKATANI and HAKUHAKU to win two weight classes at “5.20” in Vegas! 10-year bond between Jyunto Nakatani and his master | FRIDAY DIGITAL

JUNJIN NAKATANI and HAKUHAKU to win two weight classes at “5.20” in Vegas! 10-year bond between Jyunto Nakatani and his master

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The bond between Rudy and Nakatani is strong. When Nakatani first visited Rudy after graduating from junior high school and beginning his life in the U.S., he was tormented by the fear that if his performance was poor, Rudy would give up on him. Now, however, he has become a player who receives the utmost recognition.

“I feel like I’m trying to absorb as much as I can every time,” she says. It’s my job to do my best to do what Rudy tells me to do. I trust him 100 percent, so no matter what he tells me, I’m ready to go with his menu. Even if I feel confused, I just try my best to do it. As I do so, it becomes ingrained in my body. Rudy is strict but has a sense of humor, and every day is exciting.

During a sparring session during this camp, Rudy suddenly said to me, “In the next round, lower your guard. If you put your guard up, you will lose your arms. If you raise your guard, you will be punished with push-ups. This was to hone his defensive bodywork and to let him experience the effectiveness of his guard.

“That’s the kind of thing I enjoy,” he said. Rudy and I have a relationship that is not supercilious or rigid. Practice is hard, but it’s really fulfilling, and I can feel myself growing.

This exclusive interview was conducted online. His personality came through in each word.

The MGM Groundgarden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the fight against Moloney will take place, has been the site of many great fights, including George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

I am honored to be given the chance to compete in such an arena in the second weight class,” said Tyson. It is a rare opportunity for a Japanese fighter. I want to be active in the U.S. in the future, so I want to make a good impression. American fans are very discerning, and I want to enjoy myself on that stage.

Finally, we asked him about his outlook for the 20th.

“I want to make the most of my long reach and get a good distance. I have many things to reflect on from my first super flyweight fight in November, but I learned a lot from my clinch work. I’m going to fight well against fighters who use the clinch a lot, and I’m going to keep my pace.”

The MGM Groundgarden Arena seats just over 16,000 people. In Las Vegas, where boxing fever is the hottest in the world, Jyunjin Nakatani will be aiming to win his second world title. Expect a hot fight that will burn the hearts of the fans and officials in the home of boxing.

  • Interview and text by Soichi Hayashi

    Soichi Hayashi was born in 1969. Passed the professional boxing test as a junior lightweight, but suffered an injury to his left elbow. After working as a reporter for a weekly magazine, he became a nonfiction writer and educator, teaching at a public high school in the U.S. In 1996, he moved to the U.S. He completed the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies at the University of Tokyo in 2014. He is the author of "Minority Fist," "America's Lower Level Education Site," and "America's Problem Child Regeneration Classroom" (all Kobunsha e-books), "God's Ring," "The Door to the World: Forward! Samurai Blue" and "Hohoite to Nurture Coaching" (all published by Kodansha).

  • Photography Ryuto Nakatani

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