Junto Nakatani defends WBC bantamweight crown with stunning third round knockout of David Cuellar

Junto Nakatani successfully defends his WBC bantamweight crown with stunning knockout

WBC bantamweight champion, Junto Nakatani (30-0, 23KO), underlined his enormous power and skill by knocking out Mexican challenger David 'The General' Cuéllar in the third round this Monday, February 24, 2024.

It was the main event of a card presented by Teiken Promotions at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

At the beginning, Cuéllar came out grimly determined to exchange shots, to pressure and make Nakatani retreat, but the 27-year-old southpaw responded with thudding and telling combinations to assert his command as champion.

Nakatani was more active and carved out niches and tracts with his powerful left hand. In the second round, the three-weight world champion was unleashing hurtful  combinations that crashed into challenger Cuellar’s face. The Mexican pressed, courageously went forward, but Nakatani dominated with his better boxing and more effective power.

In the third, Cuellar smartly counter-punched and managed to punish Nakatani. However, the Japanese responded ruthlessly, with pounding, sinking hooks to the body, which made Cuellar retreat, then he was knocked down.

In the unremitting resumption after brave Cuellar got up, Nakatani had no mercy. He launched himself to punish his rival with a powerful left, knocking Cuellar down again. He remained seated listening to the count of Referee Michael Griffin. It was over and out! It was a confident and dominant performance from the powerful puncher, who finished the fight clinically when the moment came.

With this victory, Nakatani achieved the third successful defence of his WBC bantamweight title, improving his record to 30-0, with 23 knockouts.

Luis Nery vs Kyonosuke Kameda

Luis Nery rebounded  from his loss to Naoya Inoue by stopping Kyonosuke Kameda in the seventh round at the Municipal Auditorium in his hometown of Tijuana, Mexico.

Nery, 36-2 (28 KOs), knocked down Kameda, 15-4-2 (9 KOs), twice in the seventh round, forcing his corner to throw in the towel.

The first knockdown came after a left uppercut to the body sent the Osaka, fighter reeling in the corner, with a series of follow-up punches sending him to the canvas.

The two hugged each other after the fight, putting behind them the quarrels they had in the pre-fight conferences.

Frank Sanchez vs Ramon Olivas Echeverria

On the same card, Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez, 25-1 (18 KOs), bounced back from his first career loss with a third-round knockout of Ramon Olivas Echeverria, 18-25 (12 KOs).

Sanchez, 32, fought for the first time since his seventh-round knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in May of last year.