Junto Nakatani defended his WBC bantamweight title for a second time, as he scored a sixth round knockout of Tasana Salapat in Japan.
Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs) came into the Salapat fight a three weight world champion, after serving as WBO champion at flyweight and super flyweight, before winning the WBC bantamweight title in February by stopping Alexandro Santiago. He was last out in July, needing under a round to knock out Vincent Astrolabio in his first defence.
Chitpattana (76-1, 53 KOs) came into this one with a very flattering 77-fight record. His most significant fight came in 2018, but he was clearly beaten on the cards by Takuma Inoue in a bid for the WBC Interim super bantamweight title.
His last fight saw him defend his WBC Asian belt for a fourth time, as he took a ten round points win over the 6-5-1 GuiMing Li in Rangsit in July.
Nakatani’s jab was a potent weapon in the first round, and that proved a very good measuring stick as Chitpattana’s punches mainly fell short in the first three rounds.
The Thai challenger did have small successes in round four, but Nakatani was able to get the better of the exchanges, and carried more power in his punches.
Both men opened up with spiteful punches in the fifth, and a round later, the champion scored a hard knockdown, landing with a power left followed by some sharp combinations.
Chitpattana survived the count, but the end came towards the end of the round, as Nakatani tagged Chitpattana with a sledgehammer left that folded his opponent on to his front, and the referee dispensed with the count.
EMPHATIC FROM NAKATANI 🥊
Junto Nakatani STOPS Petch Sor Chitpattana with a VICIOUS left hand to retain his WBC bantamweight crown and remain undefeated 👑 pic.twitter.com/zX87K6Y9z7
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) October 14, 2024
Tanaka stunned by Cafu
Kosei Tanaka (20-2, 11 KOs) made a maiden defence of his WBO super flyweight title, but a knockdown in favour of Phumelele Cafu (11-0-3, 8 KOs) proved crucial, as the South African became the new champion via split decision.
A huge, counter right hand from Cafu had Tanaka on the deck in the fifth round, but he rallied admirably after surviving the count, and the two produced some great action all the way to the final bell, where two scores of 114-113 for Cafu ensured the belt would have a new owner, against a third tally at the same score for Tanaka.
Olascuaga vs Gonzalez cut short
The third world title fight on the bill ended in disappointment, as WBO flyweight champion, Anthony Olascuaga (7-1-1, 5 KOs) and Jonathan Gonzalez (28-3-2, 14 KOs) had to settle for a technical draw during the first round. Gonzalez was ruled out of the contest due to a nasty cut caused by a clash of heads, and with four rounds not completed, the contest was ruled a technical draw.
Our first fight is ruled a no decision after Jonathan Gonzalez suffers a cut in R1. #NakataniChitpattana | LIVE on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/utU2iXsBOO
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 14, 2024
Tenshin goes the distance with Asilo
Tenshin Nasukawa (5-0, 2 KOs) claimed the vacant WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title, as he took a points win over ten rounds against Gerwin Asilo (9-1, 4 KOs). Nasukawa scored a knockdown that looked more like a slip in the penultimate frame, but Nasukawa ran out a handy winner in any case, by two scores of 98-91, and a third at 97-92.
Kobayashi held by James
Super lightweight hope Ayato Kobayashi (1-0-1, 0 KOs) and Excell James Junior (2-1-1, 0 KOs) couldn’t be separated over four rounds, with two judges scoring a 38-38 draw, meaning a third judge’s 39-37 tally for Kobayashi was redundant.
