Junto Nakatani clinically stopped David Cuellar in three rounds to continue to enhance his reputation as one of the world’s most fearsome fighters.
Over the course of two unremarkable rounds at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, he learned to read and time his overmatched opponent.
Towards the conclusion of the third round he then responded to the Mexican’s aggression with a powerful left hand that dropped him. Little of the round was remaining, but he succeeded in dropping him again, and then watched as Cuellar made little effort to return to his feet.
If the previously undefeated Cuellar had been considered a worthy challenger to Nakatani’s WBC bantamweight title, as soon as Nakatani sought to hurt him he started to appear out of his depth.
Nakatani has not only established himself as one of the world’s most heavy-handed fighters but also one of its most rounded, and he showed it again against a challenger who, unusually for their weight division, proved capable of matching his height and reach.
That Cuellar asked him so few questions despite that reality is perhaps encouraging for those who anticipate Nakatani, 27, moving up in weight in the near future.
The celebrated Japanese fighter had already made an impression to both body and head during the opening two rounds before, in the third, concluded that he had learned what he needed to about Cuellar and seeking to make his latest impressive statement.
Cuellar, 23, had risked a combination of some success when Nakatani saw an opportunity to punish him and swiftly followed landing to his body with a left hand to the chin that dropped him.
The Mexican responded like a fighter recognising not only his opponent’s true power but the size of the challenge he was confronting. When he then returned to his feet with little of the round remaining he was dropped by successive left hands – the first powerful enough to drop many other bantamweights – and he then made little effort to fight on when the referee Michael Griffin’s count reached 10.
The timing of the stoppage, unusually, was announced at three minutes and four seconds of the fourth round. In making the third defence of his title, Nakatani again showed why a fight between he and fellow Japanese world champion Naoya Inoue is sought after around the world.
“David’s the tallest fighter I’ve ever fought against, so that was a concern, but I’m so happy I got the stoppage,” Nakatani said. “Did you get to see my defence?
“He was really good at avoiding my punches, so in that aspect he’s a great fighter.”
Asked of who he would like to fight next, he referenced the IBF champion and his compatriot Ryosuke Nishida when responding: “This time, Nishida, let’s fight. Go ahead and let’s do this – I really want to do this.
“I would like to unify my title at bantamweight, and I have a big dream moving forwards.”
