Two of Japan`s biggest boxing stars are expected to collide in a massive showdown next year. To prepare for this highly anticipated clash, Junto Nakatani seems to have secured a fight in the super-bantamweight division against a former adversary of fellow star Naoya Inoue.
Inoue, boasting an impressive record of 30 wins with no losses and 27 knockouts, has been a dominant and spectacular force in the lower weight classes over recent years. His performances have solidified his status as arguably the world`s top pound-for-pound fighter and potentially the greatest boxer in the history of Japanese boxing.
While Inoue`s achievements have often taken the spotlight, Nakatani, who holds a perfect record of 31-0 with 24 knockouts, has quietly built his own formidable career. Following in the footsteps of `The Monster`, Nakatani has become a three-division world champion himself, earning his place in the pound-for-pound rankings.
This sets the stage for a potential domestic super-fight. As the current WBC and IBF bantamweight titleholder, Nakatani could move up in weight to challenge his esteemed countryman, Inoue, for the undisputed super-bantamweight championship sometime next year.
According to reports from Yahoo Japan, the 27-year-old Nakatani is reportedly scheduled to make his 122lb (super-bantamweight) debut against Ramon Cardenas, who holds a record of 26 wins and 2 losses with 14 knockouts. This fight appears to be a crucial step for Nakatani as he readies himself for the potential historic encounter with Inoue.
Cardenas famously made headlines when he became only the second man to send Naoya Inoue to the canvas during their fight in May, a bout that is considered one of the year`s best so far. Although Cardenas was eventually stopped in the eighth round, his performance garnered significant praise.
Despite the stoppage loss, the Texan`s gutsy showing was enough to win over many fans. A fight against a high-calibre opponent like Nakatani provides `Dinamita` another opportunity to impress and potentially disrupt the highly anticipated Inoue-Nakatani plans for the first half of 2026.
The potential Nakatani-Cardenas bout could potentially take place in December, possibly featured on the undercard of Inoue`s rumored upcoming fight against Alan David Picasso. While Nakatani has recently headlined his own events in Japan, he may take a supporting role for this significant debut.
Regarding Nakatani`s current bantamweight titles, should he vacate them to move up, it is anticipated that the WBC`s number one ranked contender, Tenshin Nasukawa, with a record of 7-0 and 2 knockouts, would be a strong candidate to challenge for the vacant WBC belt.
Simultaneously, the current IBF mandatory challenger in the bantamweight division, Jose Salas Reyes, 16-0 (10 KOs), could potentially face Naoya Inoue`s brother, Takuma Inoue, who holds a record of 20 wins and 2 losses with 5 knockouts. This matchup could determine the new IBF bantamweight world champion.
