The Japanese scene right now is one of the most exciting, not just in regards to the fighters currently at the top but also the emerging talent which is breaking through the rankings and looking to make a name as part of a new generation of Japanese fighters. One such fighter is 19 year-old Flyweight hopeful Junto Nakatani (10-0, 8) who already looks to be “one to watch”.
Nakatani is from the little known M.T. Gym, where his most notable stablemate is Akinoi Hoshino. Although from a little known gym he has started to turn heads in Japan and in the US.
Yes it seems weird that a teenager from Japan has been turning heads in the US but those who travel through the gym scene in North America may well have seen a teenage Nakatani training with the youngster actually having spent at the Maywood Boxing Club in California all the way back in early 2014. That training helped Nakatani run up a 14-2 (10) amateur record, but he didn’t turn professional with any fan fare and instead turned professional with a C class licence, like a typical rookie.
That amateur experience came in handy the following year, when he debuted and quickly despatched fellow debutant Junichi Itoga in 93 seconds on April 26th 2015. Going in to his debut the then 17 year-old Nakatani was some 15 years younger than Itoga, though it never mattered as the skills, speed and power of the youngster were simply too much.
Read more at The Grueling Truth
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