How was Japan’s Nakatani’s shocking knockout of Mexico’s Santiago to win the world title

Comparisons are odious, especially when the figure compared is enormous. However, Together Nakatani he brings with him the parallel that many draw in Japan between him and the multiple champion Naoya Inoue, one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world. This Saturday, The Japanese eliminated the Mexican Alexandro Santiago in the sixth episode of Tokyoit took the World Boxing Council bantamweight title from him and, at just 26, he achieved his third crown at three different weights.

The Council band, one of four of the 118 pounds Inoue had left vacant just over a year ago Santiago had only seven months to gain a foothold in the super bantamweight division, having seized it by defeating legendary Filipino Nonito Donaire in Las Vegas last July. The courageous 28-year-old from Tijuana could do little against his opponent’s precision, power and physical advantage.

Much taller and with a greater reach than the Mexican, the southpaw Nakatani remained from the beginning of the fight in the center of the ring with his right foot far forward, kept his rival at a distance with his very long right jab and responded with short but effective combinations. During the first four rounds of the battle in the Ryogoku Kokugikan from the Japanese capital, that tactic was enough to dominate Santiago at will.

In the fifth episode, The Japanese pressed the accelerator and connected much more smoothly to the Not much, who was already living with cuts on both eyebrows. It was the prelude to the result. Shortly after the start of the sixth round, a direct left foot from Nakatani sent the tapestry to the visitor. Without much conviction, Santiago stood up, although it was only to receive a hail of blows that made him fall again. Then his corner judged that enough was enough. It was the first defeat before the cutoff for the Tijuana native, who found himself with a record of 28 wins, 4 setbacks and 5 draws.

In this way, Nakatani, who was born in Inabe and lives in Sagamihara, he added a new victory to his perfect CV, the 27th of his professional career (20 were on the fast track), and he added a new ecumenical belt to his collection: He has already been World Boxing Organization flyweight and super flyweight champion and now holds the Council bantamweight title.

Another bantamweight title, that of the World Boxing Association, was contested on Saturday at the Ryogoku Kokugikan and Takuma Inoue, Naoya’s younger brotherhe kept it by knocking out the Filipino in the ninth round Jerwin Ancajaswho failed to end the drought in his country, which nowadays doesn’t even have a world champion.

A duel of styles was expected between the champion, a fast fighter, with a wide range of technical resources, but without the power of his older brother (only four of his 18 victories had been by knockout); and the candidate, an experienced boxer with extensive experience in World Cup duels: he was the International Boxing Federation’s super flyweight monarch for more than five years, retained his crown nine times and ended up relinquishing it in February 2022 for the Argentine Fernando Martínez.

But Inoue not only took advantage of his better boxing, but also did not refuse exchanges at close range, terrain which, in theory, favored the guest. AS, He was building a good lead on the scoreboard while Ancajas saw his physical condition deteriorate and bets all his chips on a saving blow.

However, The devastating impact did not come from his punches, but from the Japanese’s right glove., who connected two daggers to Ancajas’ liver in the ninth episode. He cute guy He listened on his knees to the full report from referee Mark Nelson who condemned the fourth defeat of his career and the first by knockout (he also has 34 wins and 2 draws).

Inoue retained the title he won for the first time in April 2023 by beating the Liborio Solís, Venezuelan and celebrated the victory over the ensogado together with his brother, the undisputed super bantamweight champion. His victory, added to that of Junto Nakatani, left two of the four 118-pound belts in the hands of the Japanese fighters: the other two belong to the Australian Jason Moloney (OMB) e The Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodríguez (International Boxing Federation).

In the third World Cup match of the evening in Tokyo, another Japanese, Kosei Tanaka defeated on points with a broad unanimous ruling Mexican Christian Bacasegue Rangel and captured the WBO super flyweight championship, which had been vacant since Junto Nakatani relinquished it in December to move up the rankings.

Tanaka, 28, dominated the fight from start to finish and gave a very harsh and prolonged punishment to Bacasegue Rangel, for whom this was his first World Cup opportunity, his first fight outside Mexico and first 12-round deal. The boxer born in Mexicali 26 years ago heard the count at the end of the eighth episode, but managed to stay standing until the final bell. The three judges saw the local team win comfortably: 119-108, 117-110 and 116-111.

Tanaka, who improved his record to 20 wins and 1 loss, he won his fourth title in four categories, as he had already reigned in the minimum, light fly and fly divisions. But not only that: he became the boxer who achieved that result with the fewest professional fights. With his 21 fights he surpassed the achievement of the American Óscar De la Hoya, who had obtained the WBC welterweight belt in his 24th outing (he had previously been super featherweight, lightweight and super lightweight champion).