One of many sport’s absolute best fighters additionally stays amongst its most lively.
Three-division and reigning WBC bantamweight Junto Nakatani will struggle for the third time in 2024. The Ring’s No. 9 pound-for-pound entrant faces Thailand’s Petch CP Freshmart atop an Oct. 14 title struggle tripleheader from Ariake Enviornment in Tokyo.
The present is on the again finish of loaded exhibits on two consecutive days introduced by Mr. Honda’s Teiken Promotions. Seven title fights will grace the two-day collection, each happening at Ariake Enviornment. Each occasions will air dwell on ESPN+ within the U.S.
Nakatani (28-0, 21 knockouts) is recent off a first-round knockout of the Philippines’ Vincent Astrolabio. Their July 20 headliner at Kokugikan Enviornment in Tokyo topped a lineup much like this occasion.
The win over Astrolabio got here lower than 5 months after Nakatani gained his third divisional crown. It got here in a sixth-round knockout of Alexandro Santiago, who beforehand outpointed the legendary Nonito Donaire to win the WBC title final July 29 in Las Vegas.
Nakatani beforehand held titles at 112 and 115 kilos. He’s presently The Ring’s No. 1-rated bantamweight.
CP Freshmart (76-1, 53 KOs) amazingly enters his first profession title struggle.
The 30-year-old southpaw has been a professional for greater than 13 years. The closest he’s come to a significant belt was a Dec. 2018 loss to Takuma Inoue of their interim WBC bantamweight title struggle. CP Freshmart—beginning title Tasana Salapat—has gained 28 in a row, although principally versus middling competitors.
Additionally in motion are not too long ago topped titlists Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs) and Anthony Olascuaga (7-1, 5 KOs). Each will make the primary protection of their respective WBO belts.
Tanaka, No. 4 at 115, places his WBO junior bantamweight belt on the road versus South Africa’s Phumelele Cafu (10-0-3, 8 KOs). The all motion fighter from Aichi turned a four-division titlist in a Feb. 24 factors victory over Christian Bacasegua. He was resulting from seem on the July 20 Nakatani-Astrolabio card. Nevertheless, challenger Jonathan Rodriguez confirmed up greater than seven kilos above the 115-pound restrict and was scratched from the present.
Cafu enters his first profession title struggle and likewise ventures exterior of South Africa for the primary time as a professional.
Olascuaga will face former WBO 108-pound titlist Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez (28-3-1, 14 KOs). Their necessary title struggle was settled earlier this month and simply awaited a struggle date.
The Los Angeles native claimed his WBO flyweight title in a terrific third-round knockout of Riku Kano. The Ring’s No. 8-rated flyweight hadn’t fought in ten months however didn’t present any indicators of ring rust in his second title bid. He beforehand suffered a ninth-round knockout to Kenshiro Teraji in a late alternative function for the Ring, WBC and WBA 108-pound crown.
Fittingly, Olascuaga was a alternative that night for Gonzalez, who’d fallen sick. It price the Boricua a profitable unification bout, which by no means got here again spherical. Sickness, accidents and weight struggles dulled his title reign to only three defenses over three years. Gonzalez vacated the title in June to marketing campaign at flyweight, the place he was put in because the necessary challenger.
The night’s co-feature is the lone non-title struggle of the evening. Fashionable gate attraction and bantamweight prospect Tenshin Nasukawa (4-0, 2 KOs) will face the Philippines’ Gerwin Asilo (9-0, 4 KOs) in a ten-round regional title struggle.
Nasukawa is recent off his first true knockout victory. He knocked outJonathan Rodriguez (not the fatty who blew weight versus Tanaka) within the third spherical on the July 20 Nakatani-Astrolabio undercard. He beforehand stopped Luis Robles within the third as properly, although resulting from ankle damage.
The previous kickboxing star went the gap in every of his first two bouts however is already being quick tracked in direction of title rivalry.
Asilo enjoys a fast turnaround as properly. The rising bantamweight from Bohol gained by way of second-round knockout on July 27 in Tagbilaran Metropolis, which has hosted his final 4 fights. This journey marks his first as a professional exterior the Philippines.
Headlining the Oct. 13 card, divisional rival and WBA titlist Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KOs) makes an attempt his first protection versus countryman Seiya Tsutsumi (11-0-2, 8 KOs).
