WBC STATISTICS

WBC Bantamweight World Championship
October 14, 2024 / Tokyo, Japan / Ariake Arena

TEIKEN PROMOTIONS PRESENTS:

JUNTO NAKATANI (Japan)

WBC Bantamweight World Champion, 2nd Defense
Age: 26 / Date of birth: January 2, 1998
Residence: Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan / Birthplace: Inabe-Gun, Toin Cho, Mie, Japan
Record: 28-0, 21 KOs / Total rounds: 137 / World championship fights: 7-0, 6 KOs
Height: 5’7” – 170cm / Reach: 67” – 170cm / Stance: Left-handed
Promoter: Akihiko Honda / Manager: Takeshi Murano / Trainer: Rudy Hernandez

PETCH SOR CHITPATTANA (Thailand)

· Ranked WBC No. 1 at Bantamweight
· Asian Boxing Council Bantamweight Champion
· Former WBC Youth Flyweight Champion
Age: 30 / Date of birth: November 20, 1993
Residence, birthplace: Amphoe Phon Thong, Roi-Et, Thailand
Record: 76-1, 53 KOs / Total rounds: 407
Height: 5’6.5” – 169cm / Reach: 68.5” – 174cm / Stance: Left-handed

WBC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS

1. Eder Jofre (Brazil) 1963 – 1965
2. Masahiko Harada (Jap) 1965 – 1968
3. Lionel Rose (Aust) 1968 – 1969
4. Ruben Olivares (Mex) 1969 – 1970
5. Chucho Castillo (Mex) 1970 – 1971
6. Ruben Olivares (Mex) * 1971 – 1972
7. Rafael Herrera (Mex) 1972
8. Enrique Pinder (Pan) 1972
9. Rafael Herrera (Mex) * 1973 – 1974
10. Rodolfo Martinez (Mex) 1974 – 1976
11. Carlos Zarate (Mex) 1976 – 1979
12. Lupe Pintor (Mex) 1979 – 1982
13. Albert Davila (US) 1983 – 1984
14. Daniel Zaragoza (Mex) 1985
15. Miguel Lora (Col) 1985 – 1988
16. Raul Perez (Mex) 1988 – 1991
17. Greg Richardson (US) 1991
18. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) 1991 – 1993
19. Victor Rabanales (Mex) (Interim) 1992 – 1993
20. Jungil Byun (Kor) 1993
21. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) (Interim)* 1993 – 1994
22. Yasuei Yakushiji (Jap) 1993 – 1995
23. Wayne McCullough (Ire) 1995 – 1996
24. Sirimongkol Singmanassuk (Thai) 1996 – 1997
25. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) * 1997 – 1998
26. Veeraphol Nakhonluang (Thai) 1998 – 2005
27. Hozumi Hasegawa (Japan) 2005 – 2010
28. Fernando Montiel (Mexico) 2010 – 2011
29. Nonito Donaire (Phil) 2011
30. Shinsuke Yamanaka (Japan) 2011 – 2017
31. Luis Nery (Mexico) 2017 – 2018
32. Takuma Inoue (Japan) Interim 2018
33. Nordine Oubaali (France) 2019 – 2021
34. Nonito Donaire (Phil)* 2021 – 2022
35. Naoya Inoue (Japan) 2022
36. Alexandro Santiago (Mexico) 2023 – 2024
37. Junto Nakatani (Japan) 2024 –
*Regained

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY:

32 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, four of whom have regained the title: Ruben Olivares (Mexico), Rafael Herrera (Mexico), Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Japan) two times, Nonito Donaire.

141 bantamweight world title bouts have been held in WBC history.

WBC TOP 10 BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONS

1. Carlos Zarate (Mexico)
2. Eder Jofre (Brazil)
3. Ruben Olivares (Mexico)
4. Rafael Herrera (Mexico)
5. Veeraphol Nakhonluang (Thai)
6. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Japan)
7. Jungil Byun (Korea)
8. Yasuei Yakushiji (Japan)
9. Hozumi Hasegawa (Japan)
10. Shinsuke Yamanaka (Japan)

MEMORABLE WBC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS

July 20, 2024 Junto Nakatani KO7 Vincent Astrolabio – Tokyo, Japan
Feb. 24, 2024 Junto Nakatani TKO6 Alexandro Santiago – Tokyo, Japan
July 29, 2023 Alexandro Santiago W12 Nonito Donaire – Las Vegas, Nevada
Dec.13, 2022 Naoya Inoue KO11 Paul Butler – Tokyo, Japan
June 7, 2022 Naoya Inoue TKO2 Nonito Donaire – Saitama, Japan
Dec. 11, 2021 Nonito Donaire KO4 Reymart Gaballo – Carson, California
May 29, 2021 Nonito Donaire KO4 Nordine Oubaali – Carson, California
Nov. 7, 2019 Nordine Oubaali W12 Takuma Inoue – Saitama, Japan
Jan. 19, 2019 Nordine Oubaali W12 Rau’Shee Warren – Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 15, 2017 Luis Nery KO4 Shinsuke Yamanaka – Kyoto, Japan
Sep. 22, 2015 Shinsuke Yamanaka W12 Anselmo Moreno – Tokyo, Japan
Nov. 6, 2011 Shinsuke Yamanaka TKO11 Christian Esquivel – Tokyo, Japan
Feb. 19, 2011 Nonito Donaire TKO2 Fernando Montiel – Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr. 30, 2010 Fernando Montiel TKO4 Hozumi Hasegawa – Tokyo, Japan
Apr. 16, 2005 Hozumi Hasegawa W12 Veeraphol Sahaprom – Tokyo, Japan
June 25, 2000 Veeraphol Sahaprom W12 Toshiaki Nishioka – Takasago, Japan
Aug. 10, 1996 Sirimongkol Singwancha TKO5 Jose Luis Bueno – Phitsanulok, Thailand
Jul. 30, 1995 Wayne McCullough W12 Yasuei Yakushiji – Nagoya, Japan
Sep. 17, 1992 Victor Rabanales TKO9 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi – Osaka, Japan
Sep. 19, 1991 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi TKO10 Greg Richardson – Moriguchi, Japan
Oct. 29, 1988 Raul Perez W12 Miguel Lora – Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 9, 1985 Miguel Lora W12 Daniel Zaragoza – Miami, Florida
June 3, 1979 Lupe Pintor W15 Carlos Zarate – Las Vegas, Nevada
May 8, 1976 Carlos Zarate KO9 Rodolfo Martinez – Inglewood, California
Dec. 7, 1974 Rodolfo Martinez TKO4 Rafael Herrera – Merida, Yucatan
Mar. 19, 1972 Rafael Herrera KO5 Ruben Olivares – Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Aug. 22, 1969 Ruben Olivares KO4 Lionel Rose – Inglewood, California
Mar. 8, 1969 Lionel Rose W15 Alan Rudkin – Melbourne, Australia
May 18, 1965 Fighting Harada W15 Eder Jofre – Nagoya, Japan
Apr. 4, 1963 Eder Jofre KO3 Katsutoshi Aoki – Tokyo, Japan

Brightest Star in Land of The Rising Sun

By James Blears

Lanky, hard hitting marksman Junto Nakatani defends his WBC Bantamweight Title for the second time, on Monday October 14th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, against Petch Sor Chittpattana from Thailand.

It`s already been a very active year for talented southpaw Junto 28-0, 21 KO`s, and this latest event is part of a busy overall schedule, which involves seven title bouts in just two days.

Junto still aged just twenty- six has already won world titles at flyweight and super-flyweight. In February he added the WBC bantamweight Green and Gold Belt, stopping Mexico`s Alexandro Santiago in six rounds.  Junto towered over the then champion, buffeting him with jarring right jabs and follow up clubbing lefts.

 

After a torrid round five, the end came soon thereafter.  Junto`s trademark long straight left seemingly came from nowhere in the sixth and it dropped Alexandro really hard.  It`s the punch you don`t see coming…. Somehow, he got up, but as is the ruthless mark of a Great, Junto simply wouldn`t allow respite for recovery.  Trapped on the ropes, the brave Mexican under withering fire, was caught with a blistering left hook and an even harder short right and down he went again. It was all over.

For his first defence, Junto barely broke sweat in dispatching rugged Filipino Vincent  Astrolabio.  Initially cautious, using his everso long right lead, Junto appeared tentative, pondering his next move with care and attention, seeking an opening…and then it came!

He backed up the shorter fighter and landed a cannonade long left into his midriff, above the belt line. A Beautifully precisely executed bolt of lightning.  As so often with a sinking body blow, the reaction was momentarily delayed, but Vincent`s potentially starry night was well and truly over. Peppered, he  went down as ashen as a pillar of crumbling salt, tried to muster himself and get up but  collapsed back in a heap, wincing in acute discomfort. It took just one minute and twelve seconds.

Junto was determined to impress our WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, who had travelled half way around the world to witness his handiwork, and presented him the Belt plus the champion`s shirt, for an awesome night`s work. Mission accomplished. Wow!

Junto`s most spectacular victory to date, came against Andrew Moloney for the vacant WBO Super-flyweight belt.  In round two long- armed Junto, sailed in and landed two pinpoint left uppercuts, adroitly setting up a right uppercut,  which dropped Andrew, who did well to get up.

In round eleven, that laser long left which Andrew never saw coming, felled him hard. And in the twelfth and final round Junto all but poleaxed him with a beautifully timed blockbuster counter left hook, which was for many was KO Of The Year. In his first defence he dropped tough as nails Argi Cortes thrice, but had to suffice with a UD.

One so important key to Junto`s success is his Coach Rudy Hernandez who has been with him in his corner for years. Most of their training is done within a stone`s throw of downtown LA. Junto relishes the opportunity to spar, and there are no shortage of takers in this hive of intense boxing activity.

Rudy who is a world class Coach and cut man was instrumental in the success of his brother the late Great Genaro who was World Super Featherweight Champion twice and one of the founding members of WBC Cares, visiting children in hospitals. He fought his bravest battle against cancer, dying aged just forty- five.

Bob Arum helped fund the treatments and took Genaro to many of these appointments. After he lost his bravest battle, Floyd Mayweather who he`d fought, paid for his funeral.  This is what makes Boxing SO VERY Great.

Petch Sor Chittpattana aged thirty- one is the challenger to this formidable Champion and he is a battle- hardened contender. Petch has built a record of seventy- three fights, seventy- two victories including fifty- one KO`s and just one loss.  That defeat was his first time fighting outside his homeland and it was against Takuma Inoue, the younger brother of the mighty Naoya, for the vacant WBC Interim Bantamweight Title.  It was a UD 117-111 X 3 loss for Petch.

He was cut above the right eye in the opening round and got tagged quite a few times in the first five rounds, as he didn`t move his head very much and was a somewhat static target.  But he adapted and came on strong as the fight progressed, finding some success with body shots.  Since that setback he`s won his following twenty- eight bouts.  Yet he has stated: ‘’I am so keen to fight abroad and prove myself.’’  He won the WBC`s Youth Title at flyweight, super-flyweight and bantamweight.  Now`s his chance for the Absolute Laurels.

Junto isn`t underestimating an opponent who has fought so many times.  He says; ‘’Sor Chitpattana is a good contender. But I`m focussed upon my training. I feel stronger at one hundred and eighteen, because I don`t have to cut weight. My speed helps me trigger KO`s.’’

Rudy Hernandez feels Junto with his long frame and his already famed punching power, can go up as far as one hundred and thirty pounds.  The mouth- watering near term future prospect is a match up with the formidable Naoya ‘’Monster’’ inoue the WBC super- bantamweight Emperor, who says he`s looking forward to this fight, but Junto should earn it, by fighting his younger brother first.

Junto Vs Monster would be the most important fight between Japanese superstars for so many years.  Both are sublimely skilled, can punch exceptionally hard and have ring IQ`s which are off the charts.  A fan fantastic fusillade for when these two Stars collide, which they surely will!

But before all of this Junto must fight Petch and he is fully focused upon this bout.  Petch stands five feet six inches tall and his reach of sixty-eight and a half inches. While Junto is a lofty two inches taller his reach is just half an inch more.

Junto knows that to progress to a yet more exulted stratosphere, he must impress saying; ‘’I aim for a KO. I`m facing a southpaw for the first time in a while, so I`ll enjoy the process to get thoroughly prepared and build a body that allows me to perform to the best of my ability.’’

Petch is shorter, but barely outreached.  He must avoid getting caught with those bolts out of the blue, which chillingly characterize the Champion, and he cannot allow himself to be backed up.  He must constantly be on the move and fight smart, with no lapse of concentration.   His record although against mostly home-grown opposition, suggests he can indeed punch. With this armament, he needs to earn Junto`s respect.