Junto Nakatani, Vincent Astrolabio Make Weight; Jonathan Rodriguez Well Over Limit Versus Kosei Tanaka
Five of the six title fight participants did their job at the scales.
Junto Nakatani is set for the first defense of his WBC bantamweight title. The 26-year-old southpaw was 117 ¼ pounds, while mandatory challenger Vincent Astrolabio was 117 ½ pounds.
Their scheduled 12-round bout headlines a title fight tripleheader Saturday from the famed Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Nakatani (27-0, 20 knockouts) is The Ring’s No. 1-rated bantamweight and No. 10 pound-for-pound fighter. He became a three-division titlist after a sixth-round knockout of Alexandro Santiago (28-4-5, 14 KOs) on Feb. 24 at this very venue.
Astrolabio (19-4, 14 KOs) makes his second attempt at a major belt. The 27-year-old from General Santos City, Philippines fell just short versus Jason Moloney (27-3, 19 KOs) last May in Stockton, California. He re-entered the mix with an 11th round stoppage of Nawaphon Khaikanha (60-4-1, 50 KOs) last Aug. 26 in Bangkok. Their bout was a WBC title eliminator, which made Astrolabio the mandatory challenger to Nakatani’s belt.
Jonathan Rodriguez’s hope for a second title shot ended at Friday’s weigh-in.
His bout versus WBO 115-pound titlist Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs) will still move forward. Rodriguez (25-2-1, 17 KOs), No. 9 at 115, failed spectacularly to make weight. The 29-year-old from San Luis Potosi was a massive 121 ¾ pounds, nearly seven pounds above the limit.
Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs) was 114.9 pounds on the first try. The 29-year-old from Nagoya became a four-division titlist in a 12-round win over Christian Bacasegua. Their bout took place on the Feb. 24 Nakatani-Santiago card. Tanaka, No. 4 at 115, also won belts at strawweight, junior flyweight and flyweight.
Riku Kano and Anthony Olascuaga were both under the 112-pound flyweight limit for their vacant WBO title fight.
Hyogo’s Kano (22-4-2, 11 KOs) was 111 ¾ pounds ahead of his first career title bid. The 26-year-old southpaw is unbeaten in his last ten starts to make it to this point.
Olascuaga (6-1, 4 KOs) aims to win his first belt in his second title fight. The 25-year-old from Los Angeles was 111 ¼ pounds for the occasion.
His previous attempt came in a ninth-round knockout to then Ring/WBC/WBA 108-pound champ Kenshiro Teraji (23-1, 14 KOs) last April 8. Olascuaga took the bout on barely one week’s notice. He rebound with a seventh-round knockout of Giemel Magramo last Sept. 23. Both fights took place at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) previously held the WBO 115-pound title. He vacated that belt and the IBF title to move back up to 115, where he is the Ring/WBC champ.
All three title bouts will air live on ESPN+, beginning at 5:00 a.m. ET/2:00 a.m. PT.
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