No stone left unturned for Nakatani vs Nishida
By James Blears
A heavy hitter against a light hitter when WBC Bantamweight Champion Junto Nakatani (30-0, 23 KOs) fights a Unification Championship with IBF Champion Ryosuke Nishida (10-0, 2KOs) at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, on June 8th.
Southpaw Ryosuke who won his title from Emmanuel Rodriguez last year, dropping him with a body shot in round four on the way to a convincing UD and has already successfully defended once, stopping Anuchai Donsua via a KO body shot in round seven, is well aware of magma-magnitude of the task ahead and is unfazed.
He boldly and defiantly states about the stakes: ‘’I see no choice to face a boxer, who people say is stronger than me. I`m not going to be a stepping-stone for him.’’
Top Rank’s Junto Nakatani who knows he`s up against a stylist, rather than a chiller or nihilist, muses: ‘’I`ve been looking for this kind of fight. I`m ready to raise the level of my skills.’’ His famed Coach Rudy Hernandez is busy adding polish, burnish, bling and gleam to ‘’Big Bang`s’’ already fabled poleaxing power, especially when unleashing his chilling straight lightning bolt left.All four bantamweight titles are currently in Japanese hands. Seiya Tsutsumi is the WBA Champion and Yoshiki Takei is the WBO Champion.
Ryosuke who turned pro in 2019, hasn`t had enough bouts or time to prove how heavy handed he can be. He has only fought 92 rounds, compared to Junto`s 146 rounds. Junto turned pro four years earlier than him.
Ryosuke has decent credentials. He won a UD over former WBO bantamweight challenger Shohei Omori in his third bout. Then a UD over former WBC flyweight Champion Daigo Higa and he defeated IBF Champion Emanuel Rodriguez.
On the other hand, Nakatani who is also a southpaw has already been a world champion at flyweight and super-flyweight, before landing at bantamweight. It`s arguably his best weight yet, into which he has naturally grown, thanks to his big frame.
He dropped much shorter WBC bantamweight champion Alexandro Santiago with a massive left in round six. Shellshocked Alex bravely got up to be felled again. This time with a poleaxing right.
As Champion, Nakatani made short work of Vincent Astrolabio, clobbering him to the midriff with a jarring left in round one, and Vince, with an agonized wince, was unable to beat the count.
Then on to Petch Sor Chitpattana who he dropped twice in the sixth. Referee Laurence Cole then stopped it in a timely manner. Junto demolished hitherto unbeaten David ‘’General’’ Cuellar in the third. A big left dropped David, who beat the count to be bombarded by yet more lefts. He went down again and this time, he was unable to get up before the doleful ten decimal was reached.
Junto Nakatani and Naoya ‘’Monster’’ Inoue have already shaken hands on a Mega Bout next year. It will be the biggest fight between Japanese boxers in at least half a century. Tokyo would be the ideal setting, but Las Vegas or Riyadh are not beyond the bounds or realms of possibility. Both undefeated Stars are steadfastly determined that no fly in the ointment will deflect or detract them from winging their way towards that El Dorado. Yet stranger things have happened in Boxing. Just one punch can alter, tip the font and ruin the best prepared sermons or prophecies.
Before that clash Naoya must tighten his defence. Nonito Donaire busted up his face with a left hook. Luis Nery and Ramon Cardenas have put him down with left hooks.
Returning to the matter at hand, Ryosuke would do well to employ his body-punching skills, to prove the case that he`s not a fly swatter.
Legendary Coach Cus D`Amato admired the defensive skills of light-hitting two- time light heavyweight champion Maxie ‘’Slapsie’’ Rosenbloom, who only stopped nineteen opponents in two hundred and ninety- eight fights. Maxie put it this way..and that:
‘’I didn`t want to hurt nobody. Just smack `em around and let `em know who`s boss.’’
Fast forwarding eight decades to the here and now. Ryosuke must punch with bossy authority, rather than finesse. ‘’Deck-adence’’ rather than elegance, in order to gain and earn Junto`s respect. Junto is a hunter in the ring and it won`t be possible to stick and run or evade indefinitely. At some point, his compatriot must stand and fight, but in so doing, chose the ways and means carefully, or it`ll prove his downfall.
Every boxer will confide, that there are butterflies in the tummy, yet under control and in check, rather than fraying and jangling, leading up to the first bell clanging. Junto is no exception. He reflects: ‘’Every man has worries of his own. But if I carry my worry into the ring, that`s no good. It would result in bad!’’
To avoid being a stepping stone and in order to pave his own destiny, Nishida must prove to be a pebble in the shoe, while avoiding Nakatani unloading on him like a ton of bricks, to cement a concrete victory.
