UNDERSCORING his billing as the massive favorite, unbeaten Japanese Junto Nakatani knocked out Filipino challenger Vincent Astrolabio in the opening round Saturday night to handily retain his World Boxing Council bantamweight crown at the Kogugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Nakatani needed just two minutes and 37 seconds to stop Astrolabio, who goes by the moniker “Asero” (Steel), connecting with a solid left to the Filipino’s mid-section to score his first successful title defense in front of an impressed hometown crowd.
The Japanese earned his 28th straight triumph while claiming his 21st knockout victim as he kept the strap he wrested from Alexandro Santiago with a sixth-round technical knockout win over the erstwhile Mexican at the same arena last Feb. 2.
Astrolabio absorbed only his second knockout loss and his fifth overall loss against 19 wins (14 KOs) while failing in his second crack at a world strap since losing by majority decision to British Jason Moloney for the vacant World Boxing Organization crown strap on May 13 at the Stockton Arena in California.
“I thought this was going to be a long fight. Luckily, I landed that punched to end the fight early,” said Nakatani through an interpreter after his impressive win.
He added that his goal is to unify all the other belts in the weight division also currently held by Japanese — Takuma Inoue (World Boxing Association), Yoshiki Takei (WBO), Ryosuke Nishida (international Boxing Federation — before possibly moving up to the 122-pound class.
Nakatani is keen on facing Japanese compatriot Naoya Inoue, the undisputed world champion in the super bantamweight division.
The abrupt outcome was unexpected after Astrolabio gave a solid accounting of himself in the early minutes of the first round, keeping away from the dreaded knockout punch of the Japanese while landing some hits of his own.
But the end came at the center of the ring when Nakatani jabbed twice at the Filipino’s face, leaving his rival open in the body and connecting with the left haymaker that forced Astrolabio to his knees.
Though winded, Astrolabio valiantly tried to get up on his feet only to buckle down again, prompting American referee Thomas Taylor to stop the fight and declare Nakatani the winner.
