TOKYO — Japan’s Junto Nakatani said he won’t be intimidated when he faces fellow unbeaten countryman Naoya “Monster” Inoue on Saturday in front of 55,000 fans at a sold-out Tokyo Dome.
Nakatani is aiming to dethrone undisputed super bantamweight world champion Inoue and take his place as the new king of Japanese boxing.
Both fighters have 32-0 records and the bout has generated huge interest at home and overseas, AFP reported.
Nakatani told reporters after Friday’s weigh-in that he was “in perfect shape” and determined to grab his shot at the big time.
“I want to use everything that I’ve learned along the way in the ring,” said the 28-year-old, who is five years younger and eight centimetres (three inches) taller than his opponent.
“I want to tell my story and get the win.”
Both fighters made weight for the fight, with Inoue on the limit at 122 pounds (55.3kg) and Nakatani at 121 pounds.
The weigh-in took place in front of over 1 000 fans at a venue next door to the Tokyo Dome.
“You can feel the energy more when you’re standing on the stage in front of all those fans,” said Nakatani, who has 24 knockouts.
Nakatani is a former world champion in three different weight classes.
He made his super-bantamweight debut in his previous fight, a unanimous decision win over Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez in late December.
Inoue defended his titles against Mexico’s Alan Picasso on the same card in Saudi Arabia.
Nicknamed “Big Bang”, Nakatani said he does not fear Inoue, who has 27 KOs and is renowned for his destructive punching.
“I’ve had an image of what I want to do all along,” said Nakatani.
“Tomorrow I just have to go out and express that.”
Inoue has experience of fighting at the Tokyo Dome, having beaten Mexico’s Luis Nery there two years ago.
He will be defending his titles for a seventh time.
The 33-year-old said he was prepared for a tactical battle.
“There is more than just one way to fight this match,” said Inoue.
“I have lots of things in my head, and I want to keep them in mind when I enter the ring.”
Inoue’s younger brother Takuma, the WBC world bantamweight champion, will fight Kazuto Ioka in another all-Japanese clash on the undercard.
The 37-year-old Ioka is attempting to win a world title in a fifth different weight class.
