Unified bantamweight titleholder Junto Nakatani is in the running for 2025 Fighter of the Year, but the bigger prize might be a Naoya Inoue fight in 2026.
Nakatani on June 6 unified the IBF and WBC bantamweight titles by stopping Ryosuke Nishida in the sixth round at Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo.
Nakatani, 31-0 (24 KOs), of Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan, recorded his second win of the year. In February, he knocked out David Cuellar Contreras in the third round. He is on a five-fight knockout streak, and has now all of his fights at bantamweight by KO.
“I sure hope so, but I am not holding my breath,” coach Rudy Hernandez told BoxingScene when asked if Nakatani, his charge, is in the mix for Fighter of the Year. “He is not an American. Look at Naoya Inoue: I saw Inoue fight when he was 108lbs and I was impressed. Today, Inoue is considered one of the top three in the world, but I consider him the best.”
Hernandez points to Inoue’s activity over the years as to why he deserves to be considered boxing’s best fighter, along with his devastating performances. Still, some US-based fight fans are skeptical of putting Inoue above other highly regarded fighters. Now, Nakatani – with his activity and spectacular defenses of his title – finds himself among those who could make a case for Fighter of the Year honors.
Now the next question becomes: With Inoue only a weight class above him, how long will Nakatani stay at bantamweight?
“I don’t see him staying much longer at 118lbs,” Hernandez said. “The bigger fights and bigger challenges are at the next level.
“My understanding is that there is a possibility that he may be fighting Inoue at the beginning of next year,” Hernandez said. “My thought is to one day be able to beat [Inoue] and take that place, but we have to earn it. We have to take it. No one is going to give it to us.”
Hernandez has a unique training approach that, if Nakatani continues on his current path, could draw more attention: He prepares each fighter for a fight rather for a certain style or size of opponent. So if the fight falls through and a replacement is required, nothing changes.
“I train our fighters to be ready for whatever comes,” Hernandez said. “We train to be ready. We don’t train for a specific person.”
There is no word yet about the 27-year-old Nakatani’s next move. Hernandez is hopeful that Nakatani’s status in the sport will continue to rise.
“There is something you can’t teach, and these two guys [Nakatani and Inoue] are two of the best Japanese fighters in boxing,” Hernandez said. “With Junto’s last performance, I think that elevated him to a different status in Japan.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.