Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida – Live Results from the Ariake Coliseum

Live from the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida headlines a Top Rank promotions card in association with Teiken promotions. These two undefeated fighters collide in a WBC/IBF bantamweight unification bout. We will bring you all the results and main action from every fight, including the main event, with the card being shown live on ESPN+ in the US and Prime Video in Japan. The opening fight is expected to start 4:30 a.m. ET (9:30 a.m. BST), while the main event is expected to start at 7:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. BST).

Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida: All Results on June 8

Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida

After three intriguing fights, it was time for Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida in their fascinating WBC/IBF bantamweight unification fight. It was a brilliant opening round, with Nishida landing some good body shots while Nakatani (31-0, 24 KOs) connected with sharp left hands. Nakatani took the second round, varying his attacks effectively.

The fight remained intriguing, with Nakatani landing the more telling punches, though Nishida had his moments. In the fourth round, as both worked well on the inside, Nakatani landed a big left hand, backing up his opponent. The swelling under the right eye of Nishida (10-1, 2 KOs) looked nasty by the end of the round.

Nakatani dominated the fifth, continually landing his left hand. Nishida began to look very tired, and his corner had seen enough and ended the contest at the end of round six, with Nakatani now the unified WBC/IBF bantamweight champion.

Tenshin Nasukawa vs Victor Santillan

Next up on this bantamweight extravaganza was former kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa (7-0, 2 KOs) against Victor Santillan (14-2, 5 KOs). The opening round was quiet, with both fighters trying to find their range. Nasukawa found his range in the second, timing his counterpunches well.

By the midway point of the fight, Nasukawa was winning many of the exchanges, but Santillan had his moments. The Japanese star also developed a cut near his left eye, but it didn’t seem to hinder him as he continued to box effectively both at range and on the inside. His improvement in close quarters was particularly striking.

Nasukawa’s ability to punch in between his opponent’s shots stood out. His left hand found a consistent home as the fight wore on, repeatedly catching Santillan whenever the Dominican fighter threw his right.

It was a dominant display from the Japanese southpaw, who controlled most of the 10 rounds. Santillan showed bravery, but Nasukawa’s timing and speed proved decisive as he claimed a deserved unanimous decision win with scores of 99-91 x2 and 100-90.

Tomoya Tsuboi vs Van Thao Tran

The exciting 2021 world amateur champion Tomoya Tsuboi (2-0, 1 KO) was up next, challenging Van Thao Tran (18-2, 10 KOs) for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title.

Tsuboi started the opening two rounds well, putting his shots together impressively and using his feet to great effect. His variation stood out as he mixed his attacks intelligently. Tran looked frustrated from early on, and by the halfway point, the Japanese fighter was in complete control thanks to his sharp movement and slick shot selection.

Tsuboi’s bodywork remained a vital weapon throughout. Tran was brave and absorbed sustained punishment, having limited success with single shots. Overall, it was a dominant showing from the 29-year-old Japanese fighter. There would be no surprises on the judges’ scorecards, which read 98-92 and 100-90 x2 in favour of the dominant Tomoya Tsuboi, the new WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion. It will be interesting to see if Tsuboi can move through the gears in future fights and get the stoppage.

Riku Masuda vs Michell Banquez

First up on the Junto Nakatani vs Ryosuke Nishida fight card was Riku Masuda (8-1, 8 KOs) vs Michell Banquez (23-6, 15 KOs) in the bantamweight division. Masuda jolted any sleepy viewers awake with a left hand that floored Banquez. Although Banquez got up, he fell down again moments later, prompting the referee to wave the fight off in the first round. What a start.