Unbeaten Japanese southpaw Junto Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs), successfully defended his WBC bantamweight title in his first defense with a swift one-punch knockout of WBC #1 contender Vincent Astrolabio (19-5, 14 KOs). The bout, held on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan, ended at 2:37 of the first round. Nakatani stunned the sold-out crowd of 8,000 at Ryogoku Sumo Arena by landing a devastating shot to Astrolabio’s solar plexus, leaving the challenger unable to beat the count. The 157-second demolition electrified the arena and significantly bolstered Nakatani’s reputation. The 26-year-old champion declared his readiness for a unification bout against any of the other bantamweight titleholders, all of whom are fellow Japanese fighters.

Unbeaten Japanese prodigy Tenshin Nasukawa (4-0, 2 KOs), delivered an impressive performance as he overwhelmed WBA #4 bantamweight Jonathan Rodriguez (17-3-1, 7 KOs), who weighed in at 117.25 pounds. The bout, held on Saturday in Tokyo, Japan, saw Nasukawa dominate with vicious southpaw combinations, ultimately securing a TKO at 1:49 of the third round in a scheduled ten-round match. Rodriguez, who had previously upset ex-champion Khalid Yafai in the first round last November, was no match for Nasukawa’s precision and power. Demonstrating improved sharpness, Nasukawa nearly floored Rodriguez with well-timed lefts and rights in the closing seconds of the second round. In the third round, the 25-year-old, with a flawless kickboxing record of 42-0, unleashed a barrage of vicious lefts that finally sent Rodriguez to the canvas. Referee Someya stopped the fight, deeming Rodriguez unfit to continue.