Junto Nakatani Dominates David Cuéllar: Fight Card Results
Junto Nakatani returned to Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on February 24, 2025, to defend his WBC bantamweight title against unbeaten Mexican contender David Cuéllar. Nakatani entered at 29-0 with 22 knockouts; Cuéllar was 28-0 with 18. The result was emphatic: Nakatani stopped Cuéllar in the third round, extending his unbeaten run and completing another defense of the belt he had won from Alexandro Santiago in 2024. Top Rank’s official event record lists the Tokyo venue and the third-round knockout.
Nakatani finishes Cuéllar in three
The two southpaws met in the main event of a card staged by Teiken Promotions with Top Rank. Cuéllar came in undefeated, but Nakatani’s timing and accuracy made the difference. A body attack brought the contest to a close in round three, giving the champion a knockout rather than a close decision. Nakatani was 29-0 and Cuéllar 28-0 before the bell. The result mattered beyond the number in the win column: Nakatani protected his WBC title and kept his position among the leading fighters at 118 pounds.
Tsutsumi and Higa fight to a draw
In the co-feature, WBA bantamweight champion Seiya Tsutsumi faced Daigo Higa in a rematch. The bout ended in a draw: all three judges scored it 114-114, so Tsutsumi retained his title. The reported scorecards and full-card results record the three identical scores.
Nasukawa wins the biggest test of his boxing career
Tenshin Nasukawa, the former kickboxing star moving into professional boxing, beat former world champion Jason Moloney by unanimous decision over 10 rounds. The judges scored it 97-93, 97-93 and 98-92 for Nasukawa. It was his sixth professional boxing victory, and a step up against an experienced opponent who had previously held the WBO bantamweight title. The other reported results included Ryuya Moriai’s second-round technical knockout of Eigoro Akai and Ryosuke Kiuchi’s unanimous decision over Fuentes Kitajima, with scores of 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37. Top Rank’s official event page confirms the undercard outcomes and Nasukawa’s scorecards.
The unification fight happened, then came Inoue
After stopping Cuéllar, Nakatani turned toward a domestic unification bout with IBF champion Ryosuke Nishida. That matchup took place on June 8, 2025. Nakatani stopped Nishida after six rounds, adding the IBF belt to his WBC title and becoming a unified bantamweight champion. Top Rank’s event report says Nishida’s corner retired him after the ringside physician examined his swollen right eye.
Nakatani later moved up to junior featherweight. On May 2, 2026, he met Naoya Inoue at Tokyo Dome in one of Japanese boxing’s most anticipated matchups. Inoue won by unanimous decision after 12 rounds, with official scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 115-113. It was the first professional loss of Nakatani’s career, but a competitive fight against the undisputed champion at the higher weight. The Ring’s fight report documents the result and scorecards. That later chapter gives the Cuéllar defense its proper place: a title-retaining knockout on the road to unification at bantamweight and a move into a new division.
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Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
