Trainer Rudy Hernandez believes that three-division titleholder Junto Nakatani, who has held titles as a flyweight and junior bantamweight before becoming the bantamweight champion, will be the best he has ever trained.
In July, Nakatani knocked out Vincent Astrolabio in the first round to defend his WBC bantamweight title in Japan.
While many casual observers might not recognize Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs), the lower-weight fighter from Japan who trains in Los Angeles is quietly making his way onto pound-for-pound lists. His trainer, Hernandez, has nothing but praise for the rising star.
“He’s the best I have ever trained,” Hernandez said. “Even my brother, Genaro Hernandez, and Masayuki Ito could have been better, but they weren’t like Junto Nakatani. Junto comes to the gym and, if I tell him to work on something, he just does it without question.”
Hernandez credits Nakatani’s obsession with perfection for his success. Nakatani has stopped three of his last four opponents and is beginning to garner the same buzz as fellow Japanese legend Naoya Inoue, though he hasn’t yet achieved the same levels of success.
“He’s looking to be perfect,” Hernandez said. “There’s never been a day that he’s come to the gym unwilling to work or perfect his craft, and that’s what makes him special.”
Hernandez, a veteran trainer who has also served as a cutman in high-profile fights both in boxing and MMA, led his brother Genaro to a world title and helped Mike Alvarado outbox Brandon Rios in their second bout. But his run with Nakatani might be his best yet.
“It’s not hard to work with Junto because he has the talent, but he also has the smarts,” Hernandez said.
As for the shot that floored Astrolabio, Hernandez recalled the exact moment that ended the fight at 2:37 into the first round. Nakatani’s body shot was too much for Astrolabio to recover from.
“It was a perfectly timed punch,” Hernandez said. “It was one of those shots you just couldn’t recuperate from. I can feel his pain. Trust me, I’ve been there.”
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