Can Nakatani Upset Lomachenko?

Masayoshi Nakatani has an opportunity that he’s been waiting for Saturday when he takes on Vasiliy Lomachenko on ESPN+ from the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas as they both made weight for their bout Friday.

Speaking with Timothy Bradley mentioned that he doesn’t see it other than one-way traffic for Lomachencko.

“Nakatani is a bigger guy, he is a taller guy, rangier. But he’s not super skillful. He has a lot of toughness, which is a gift, an important trait, but while toughness is a part of skill, but it’s not everything. Boxing skills are more important than just being a tough guy,” Bradley said to ESPN.

Check out our latest Big Fight Weekend Podcast as we speak about this fight with Ryan O’Hara of Ringtv.com.

The odds on Nakatani reflect Bradley’s assessment have him the huge underdog against Lomachencko as of this writing at about almost eight to one in most sportsbooks.

Nakatani speaking at the final presser Thursday looks at this as a chance of a lifetime.

“When this fight came up, I felt that it is the biggest fight of my career,” Nakatani said at the final presser Thursday. But getting the fight doesn’t mean anything. I must win for this fight to mean something. I’m going to win!”

“This is a fight that I have to win and that I want to win.”

➡️ @VasylLomachenko – Out to reclaim his Lightweight throne

➡️ @boxingnakatani – Seizing the opportunity of a lifetime

This has 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐂 written all over it.#LomaNakatani | TOMORROW | ESPN+ – 10pm ET / 7pm PT pic.twitter.com/8Ldau6m7YL

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 25, 2021

I think Nakatani has a legit chance in this fight Saturday for one reason and one reason only, what version of Lomachencko will we see coming off his loss to Teofimo Lopez last October. He also is going to be in his first fight back after having shoulder surgery after the loss to Lopez. Also, if we get the same output he had in that fight, Nakatani’s toughness will come into play, as Bradley mentioned.

Having said that, Nakatani has flaws, and until he stopped Felix Verdejo last December, was knocked down twice, and was in the first half of that fight didn’t look good. That is what makes this fight so interesting Saturday night. Nakatani poses the same height problems that Lopez did for Lomachenko did in their fight as well. We’ll see if that happens to be the case Saturday night.