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Junto Nakatani vs Vincent Astrolabio Preview
Junto Nakatani will defend his WBC bantamweight title for the first time on July 20 when he steps into the ring with Vincent Astrolabio. The Japanese fighter became a three-division champion when he claimed the title at 118lbs in February.
Astrolabio secured the right to take on Nakatani when he won a title eliminator bout in August last year after losing a championship fight three months prior. Can Asero get his hands on the gold at the second time of asking, or will Nakatani continue to dazzle fans with another dominant performance?
Junto Nakatani Vs Vincent Astrolabio Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Junto Nakatani has become one of the most popular fighters in Japan. The 26-year-old is already a three-weight champion, having won the WBO flyweight, super-flyweight, and bantamweight titles in just over three years. His most recent triumph came when he defeated Alexandro Santiago at Ryōgoku Kokugikan.
Nakatani had never fought at 118lbs before stepping into the ring with Santiago. The Japanese fighter was sharper than ever, looking completely undeterred by the new weight class and increased competition. He maintained his power and his frame lent itself handily to the change. The southpaw boxed from the outside and controlled the pace and distance throughout. Nakatani roughed up his opponent from the first bell, swelling both of Santiago’s eyes with his piercing left hand.
The challenger swept the judge’s scorecards for six rounds before knocking the champ down with a straight left. Santiago rose to his feet but was quickly met by Nakatani, who was still fresh as a daisy. Junto landed a right hook to send him to the canvas for the second time and Santiago’s corner threw in the towel. The victory extended his record to 27-0 with 20 knockouts and means he has now finished eight of his last 10 opponents.
This will be the second time Vincent Astrolabio has challenged for the world bantamweight title. He fell agonizingly short in May 2023 when he lost a majority decision for the vacant WBO title to Jason Moloney. Two judges had Moloney winning at 115-113 and 116-112, while the third couldn’t separate the fighters at 114-114.
Asero knew he had to fight his way back for another whack at the 118lb title and grabbed the opportunity the following August when he fought Nawaphon Kaikanha. There was a sense of urgency for both fighters in the eliminator as Kaikanha had also previously fought for the belt unsuccessfully.
Astrolabio started well, pressuring Kaikanha and controlling the center. However, the pendulum swung to the Thai fighter, following instructions from his corner to fight at a distance and utilize his superior footwork. He grew into the fight and began taking rounds from Asero.
Astrolabio looked laboured while his veteran opponent tried to turn it into a firefight. In the late rounds, Asero looked beaten down on the scorecards until he found success in his counterpunching. He stunned Kaikanha in the 11th round, sending him to the canvas following a right hand, landing right on the button. Kaikanha got to his feet, but Astrolabio unleashed a flurry of left hooks. The referee stopped the fight at 1:09 in round 11 to see Asero pull the most unlikely victory from the jaws of defeat.
Standing at 5’7 ½” with a 67” reach, Nakatani has an advantage of two and a half inches in height and an inch and a half reach over Astrolabio. They have a near-identical knockout rate. Asero has finished 73.68% (19-4, 14 KO) of his opponents while Nakatani has 74.07% (27-0, 20 KO).
Junto Nakatani vs Vincent Astrolabio Prediction
Prediction: Junto Nakatani to win by TKO or KO
This fight will be Junto Nakatani’s first mandatory defence of his WBC bantamweight title. Astrolabio squeezed past Kaikanha by the skin of his teeth to get here and is perhaps lucky to have been on the right side of a contentious stoppage. Our boxing prediction is for Nakatani to win by TKO/KO.
Nakatani is one of the most talented fighters in the world. According to The Ring, he is the 10th pound-for-pound best boxer on the planet right now. The Japanese fighter brings bags of power despite moving to a new weight division. He had the 2023 knockout of the year, and his record will remain unblemished here.
Nakatani is a powerful puncher no matter the weight. He has fought and knocked out opponents in three divisions. His most recent bout in his bantamweight debut was arguably the most impressive performance of his career. The Japanese brawler hadn’t lost an ounce of power or speed.
Asero has already been knocked out once in his career and took a lot of damage in his previous fight against Kaikanha. Nakatani will fight even more aggressively with the height and reach advantage. He can drown Astrolabio and land big punches as he controls the distance and pace of the fight.
Astrolabio will travel to Japan for this championship bout. The Filipino fighter has four losses on his record, with all but one of them coming on foreign soil against opponents of a different nationality. Nakatani has captured the hearts of the fans and remains one of the most popular boxers in the nation. Asero has struggled when fighting in hostile atmospheres in the past. Fans at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan will be as one-sided as you can get. With support entirely on Nakatani’s side, Asero may again crumble under pressure.
Junto Nakatani vs Vincent Astrolabio Betting Picks
The champion enters this fight as an overwhelming moneyline favourite, worth -3333. To put that into perspective, a $100 wager on Nakatani to win would return just $3. This fight was inescapable for Nakatani, as Asero is a mandatory challenger. However, he will want to win stylishly to set up super fights down the line, namely a unification bout with fellow Japanese champ Naoya Inoue. A bet on Nakatani to win via KO/TKO is worth -333.
The boxing markets favour Nakatani so heavily that there is little value in backing him to win. Instead, we are looking at the round betting. The champ has won by KO/TKO in eight of his last 10 fights. Five finishes have come in the second half of the fight, between rounds 7-12. Astrolabio has only lost earlier than that once in his career. Bet on Nakatani to win in rounds 7-12, worth +135.
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The over/under is set at 7.5 for this fight. This is a tight line to call, with Nakatani expected to finish Astrolabio. We are fading this market pre-fight. However, you could find value in a wager when looking at the live betting markets during the fight.
Nakatani’s power is excellent at bantamweight and already has a victory via KO/TKO. He forced Santiago down to the canvas twice in his last fight. He smells blood when his opponent is hurt and does not hesitate to seize the advantage. We expect Nakatani to do the same in this fight. Back the champ to land 2+ knockdowns. Sign up for our online sportsbook to wager on most boxing events. Plus, you can claim your welcome bonus and receive bonus funds worth up to $500.
Junto Nakatani vs Vincent Astrolabio Full Fight Card
Nakatani and Astrolabio will headline this card in Tokyo, but there are two more exciting title fights taking place at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan. In the co-feature, you can bet on Kosei Tanaka as he defends his WBO super flyweight title against Jonathan Rodriguez. Tanaka has won belts in four divisions, claiming the super flyweight title in February against Christian Bacasegua. He is on a five-fight win streak with a 20-1 record. Rodriguez enters with a 25-2-1 record and is undefeated in his last four bouts.
Riku Kano and Anthony Olascuaga will face off for the vacant WBO flyweight title. Kano is undefeated in ten fights, having most recently defeated Khomsan Kaewruean via TKO in December 2023. He has a record of 22-4-2 (11 KO) and has not lost a fight since 2018. Olascuaga is still in the infancy of his career, having fought on just seven occasions with a record of 6-1 (4 KO). He last stepped into the ring in September 2023, beating Giemel Magramo via TKO in the seventh round.
Former RISE two-weight champion Tenshin Nasukawa turned pro in April 2023 and will enter the ring for the fourth time. He went unbeaten in his kickboxing career and so far has an unblemished 3-0 record. You can bet on the Nasukawa vs Jonathan Rodriguez fight. Rodriguez has a record of 17-2-1 (7 KO), coming into this fight off a loss to Antonio Vargas following a retirement on the stool.
