Imagine the worst situation”…Close to Naoya Inoue! Junjin Nakatani, challenging for the 3rd bantam title, “The difference between a monster and a monster”.

Nakatani had two fights last year, and in a WBO super flyweight title fight held on May 20 in Las Vegas, he landed a counter left hook with 21 seconds to go before the bell to end the fight, sending his opponent to the canvas. It was a stunning knockout.

The fact that it was a spectacular victory at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, where boxing legends such as George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have fought heatedly, immediately made it a hot topic in the home The victory was also the talk of the town in the journalism world.
The victory was named the “Knockout of the Year” for ’23 by ESPN and CBS Sports. While Naoya Inoue was honored as the best boxer of the year, Nakatani, who is five years younger than Inoue, is now a name to be remembered in his home country.

I feel honestly happy that I was able to have a world title match on the stage I had been aiming for, and that I was recognized in my home country. It’s a very good thing in my career. I hope to carry this into the future.”

Nakatani, who moved up to bantamweight after graduating from the 115-pound (52.16 kg) super flyweight division after three fights, struggled with weight loss until just before weigh-in time in his fight last September. When he showed up at the venue, Nakatani’s cheeks were puffy and his eyes were double-lidded. The camp commented that Nakatani was suffering from unprecedented weight loss and that he had reached his limit for the super flyweight division.

Although the weight was only 1.36 kg (1.36 lb) lighter than the bantamweight division, which has a maximum weight limit of 118 pounds (53.52 kg), the weight was different from that of a normal person. Moving up a weight class this time gave Nakatani a sense of increased speed, technique, and horsepower. At 172 cm tall, Nakatani is quite tall even for a bantamweight.

I think my body is getting close to being in good shape. I am able to move up in ranks as I gain experience, so I think I came to the bantamweight division at the best time. I feel that I will be able to show a performance that I have never seen before. I haven’t done it in bantam yet, but I think I will be able to fight fresh. I have high expectations for myself.”

Japanese fighters who have won the WBC bantamweight title include Takeichiro Tatsuyoshi, Yasuei Yakushiji, Hozumi Hasegawa, Shinsuke Yamanaka, and Naoya Inoue.

I’ve been watching the WBC green belt since I was a child, and I had a vision of having it around my waist. I want to win it for sure.”

Nakatani is often called the “Next Monster. It is needless to explain, but it means “the next great talent after Naoya Inoue. This time, he is challenging for the title that Inoue vacated about a year ago.

I haven’t really thought about the term “next monster,” but I would be happy if people would pay attention to my boxing in that way. I watched the unification fight between Marlon Tapares and Inoue at the end of last year with the image of them fighting because Tapares is a southpaw like me. I knew Inoue was strong. He is definitely better than me, and there is still a gap between us. He has a lot of options, and no matter what kind of fighters he fights, he can handle them. He is really great. I feel that it is a wonderful situation to have someone running in front of you whom you want to catch up with someday.

First, he must take advantage of the opportunity in front of him.

In the bantam division, there are many Japanese who are well-known. I don’t have a particular person I want to fight, but I think the fans will enjoy it, so I really want to make a fight between Japanese fighters in the future. I think that by moving up a weight class, the ranks will become thicker, and there are world-famous fighters there, so I think it will be a plus to become a champion there.

On February 24 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Jyunjin Nakatani will no doubt have the WBC belt around his waist, and we hope to see him win “Knockout of the Year” for the second year in a row.