WBC Special Preview: Santiago vs Nakatani
WBC STATISTICS
WBC Bantamweight World Championship
February 24, 2024 / Tokyo, Japan / Ryōgoku Kokugikan
TEIKEN PROMOTIONS & TOP RANK PRESENT:
ALEXANDRO “Peque” SANTIAGO (Mexico)
WBC Bantamweight World Champion, 1st Title Defense
Age: 28 / Date of birth: February 7, 1996
Residence, birthplace: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Record: 28-3-5, 14 KOs / Total rounds: 217 / World championship fights: 1-0-1, 0 KOs
Height: 5’3” – 160 cm / Reach: 65” – 165cm / Stance: Right-handed
Promoter: Paco Damian / Manager: Romulo “Bobby” Quirarte Jr. / Trainer: Romulo Quirarte Sr.
JUNTO NAKATANI (Japan)
Ranked WBC No. 1 at Bantamweight
Age: 26 / Date of birth: January 2, 1998
Residence: Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan / Birthplace: Inabe-Gun, Toin Cho, Mie, Japan
Record: 26-0, 19 KOs / Total rounds: 130 / World championship fights: 5-0, 4 KOs
Height: 5’7” – 170cm / Reach: 67” – 170cm / Stance: Left-handed
Promoter: Akihiko Honda / Manager: Takeshi Murano / Trainer: Rudy Hernandez
WBC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Eder Jofre (Brazil) 1963 – 1965
2. Masahiko Harada (Jap) 1965 – 1968
3. Lionel Rose (Aust) 1968 – 1969
4. Ruben Olivares (Mex) 1969 – 1970
5. Chucho Castillo (Mex) 1970 – 1971
6. Ruben Olivares (Mex) * 1971 – 1972
7. Rafael Herrera (Mex) 1972
8. Enrique Pinder (Pan) 1972
9. Rafael Herrera (Mex) * 1973 – 1974
10. Rodolfo Martinez (Mex) 1974 – 1976
11. Carlos Zarate (Mex) 1976 – 1979
12. Lupe Pintor (Mex) 1979 – 1982
13. Albert Davila (US) 1983 – 1984
14. Daniel Zaragoza (Mex) 1985
15. Miguel Lora (Col) 1985 – 1988
16. Raul Perez (Mex) 1988 – 1991
17. Greg Richardson (US) 1991
18. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) 1991 – 1993
19. Victor Rabanales (Mex) (Interim) 1992 – 1993
20. Jungil Byun (Kor) 1993
21. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) (Interim)* 1993 – 1994
22. Yasuei Yakushiji (Jap) 1993 – 1995
23. Wayne McCullough (Ire) 1995 – 1996
24. Sirimongkol Singmanassuk (Thai) 1996 – 1997
25. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) * 1997 – 1998
26. Veeraphol Nakhonluang (Thai) 1998 – 2005
27. Hozumi Hasegawa (Japan) 2005 – 2010
28. Fernando Montiel (Mexico) 2010 – 2011
29. Nonito Donaire (Phil) 2011
30. Shinsuke Yamanaka (Japan) 2011 – 2017
31. Luis Nery (Mexico) 2017 – 2018
32. Takuma Inoue (Japan) Interim 2018
33. Nordine Oubaali (France) 2019 – 2021
34. Nonito Donaire (Phil)* 2021 – 2022
35. Naoya Inoue (Japan) 2022
36. Alexandro Santiago (Mexico) 2023 –
*Regained
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY:
31 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, four of whom have regained the title: Ruben Olivares (Mexico), Rafael Herrera (Mexico), Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Japan) two times, Nonito Donaire.
140 bantamweight world title bouts have been held in WBC history.
WBC TOP 10 BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
1. Carlos Zarate (Mexico)
2. Eder Jofre (Brazil)
3. Ruben Olivares (Mexico)
4. Rafael Herrera (Mexico)
5. Veeraphol Nakhonluang (Thai)
6. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Japan)
7. Jungil Byun (Korea)
8. Yasuei Yakushiji (Japan)
9. Hozumi Hasegawa (Japan)
10. Shinsuke Yamanaka (Japan)
MEMORABLE WBC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
July 29, 2023 Alexandro Santiago W12 Nonito Donaire – Las Vegas, Nevada
Dec.13, 2022 Naoya Inoue KO11 Paul Butler – Tokyo, Japan
June 7, 2022 Naoya Inoue TKO2 Nonito Donaire – Saitama, Japan
Dec. 11, 2021 Nonito Donaire KO4 Reymart Gaballo – Carson, California
May 29, 2021 Nonito Donaire KO4 Nordine Oubaali – Carson, California
Nov. 7, 2019 Nordine Oubaali W12 Takuma Inoue – Saitama, Japan
Jan. 19, 2019 Nordine Oubaali W12 Rau’Shee Warren – Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 15, 2017 Luis Nery KO4 Shinsuke Yamanaka – Kyoto, Japan
Sep. 22, 2015 Shinsuke Yamanaka W12 Anselmo Moreno – Tokyo, Japan
Nov. 6, 2011 Shinsuke Yamanaka TKO11 Christian Esquivel – Tokyo, Japan
Feb. 19, 2011 Nonito Donaire TKO2 Fernando Montiel – Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr. 30, 2010 Fernando Montiel TKO4 Hozumi Hasegawa – Tokyo, Japan
Apr. 16, 2005 Hozumi Hasegawa W12 Veeraphol Sahaprom – Tokyo, Japan
June 25, 2000 Veeraphol Sahaprom W12 Toshiaki Nishioka – Takasago, Japan
Aug. 10, 1996 Sirimongkol Singwancha TKO5 Jose Luis Bueno – Phitsanulok, Thailand
Jul. 30, 1995 Wayne McCullough W12 Yasuei Yakushiji – Nagoya, Japan
Sep. 17, 1992 Victor Rabanales TKO9 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi – Osaka, Japan
Sep. 19, 1991 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi TKO10 Greg Richardson – Moriguchi, Japan
Oct. 29, 1988 Raul Perez W12 Miguel Lora – Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 9, 1985 Miguel Lora W12 Daniel Zaragoza – Miami, Florida
June 3, 1979 Lupe Pintor W15 Carlos Zarate – Las Vegas, Nevada
May 8, 1976 Carlos Zarate KO9 Rodolfo Martinez – Inglewood, California
Dec. 7, 1974 Rodolfo Martinez TKO4 Rafael Herrera – Merida, Yucatan
Mar. 19, 1972 Rafael Herrera KO5 Ruben Olivares – Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Aug. 22, 1969 Ruben Olivares KO4 Lionel Rose – Inglewood, California
Mar. 8, 1969 Lionel Rose W15 Alan Rudkin – Melbourne, Australia
May 18, 1965 Fighting Harada W15 Eder Jofre – Nagoya, Japan
Apr. 4, 1963 Eder Jofre KO3 Katsutoshi Aoki – Kokugican, Japan
Alex and Junto
By James Blears
WBC bantamweight champion Alexandro “Peque” Santiago has packed his bags and slung his gloves around them, in the tradition of a Road Warrior, embarking on a long trip to Tokyo, for the first defense of his title against hard hitting and undefeated local lad Junto Nakatani on February 24th.
Actually, undefeated southpaw Junto (26-0, 19 KO’s ) with a formidable 73.08 percent stoppage rate, was born in Inab-gun Mia, Japan, but the fans at the Kokugikan Arena , have taken him to their hearts . Alex will get a very decent, kind, warm and respectful welcome from the Japanese fans, who are knowledgeable about their boxing, sporting and love a good well-matched fight, but they will obviously be cheering on and rooting for their compatriot combatant.
Why has Alex (28-3-5, 14 KO’s) decided to take on such a tough, daunting and exacting first defense, far away from home in Tijuana? Well…he’s no doubt going to get well paid. He’s also convinced that aged twenty eight, which is almost two years older than the challenger, he has come of age and is fully matured as well as spicily seasoned. As the champion, you should take on the best available opponent. That’s what being the champion of the World, holding the precious Green and Gold Belt, is all about.
To win it, he fought one helluva fight against legend Nonito “Flash” Donaire to lift aloft the vacant WBC bantamweight crown, absorbing some ferocious, determined, and diverse early onslaughts, to then steady himself and thanks to marvelous and dedicated conditioning, plus ring smarts, prevail with his very own high class, crafted and crafty boxing, to deservedly win a UD down the stretch. Characteristically and marvelously the very first person to congratulate him was Nonito. This is what makes Boxing, so absolutely majestic.
Alex who debuted in December 2012, has been boxing as a pro for more a decade. He has earned his plaudits and garlands via a ruggedly worthy apprenticeship. His first championship opportunity came against Jerwin Ancajas for the IBF super flyweight belt and they fought to a spirited draw.
He went on a whirlwind tear following this, by winning his next eight fights, including six stoppage wins. He then lost a MD to the talented Gary Antonio Russell. One Judge saw it as a draw, while the other two scored it for Gary Antonio. Since then, four more victories including that excellent performance against Donaire.
For most of his career, Alex has fought as a bantamweight. He’s barrel chested and robust but only stands five feet two and a half inches tall, with a sixty-five and a half inches reach. By contrast, Junto is five inches taller. His reach is sixty-seven inches. Alex is no stranger to being the shorter man. To be effective he will have to fight at close range. Upward and onward for him.
It’s Junto’s first bout in this weight category. He’s already been a world champion in two others. He’s a quality opponent. His pro debut was in 2015. A significant early win was against Mashamichi Yabuki, who went on to defeat Kenshiro Teraji for the WBC light flyweight crown with a tenth rounds TKO, only to be blasted out via KO in three, during their return bout. It was a great performance, but by the time of the rematch, Kenshiro had fully shaken off the lingering effects of the covid virus.
Junto won the vacant WBO flyweight title in his twenty first pro fight, with an eighth round KO of Giemel Magramo followed by three successful defences, two of which came via TKO. Then Junto won the vacant WBO super flyweight title with a KO of Aussie Andrew Moloney. He dropped Andrew in rounds two, eleven and twelve to finish the job with punctuating panache. He then defeated tough as nails Argi Cortes via UD in his first and only defense, before moving on and up to… Alex.
Will he be able to successfully step up to this higher weight category and bring his natural punching power along with him? Alex may not be bigger, but ‘s heavier and naturally stronger than anyone Junto has faced thus far. Whereas Alex will need it to be toe to toe, to be effective, Junto might initially try to pick him off at long range. Hand speed is going to be an crucial factor, together with ring generalship.
It’s taken Alex quite some time to become a world champion. He achieved it on his second attempt. So he’s coming into to this bout determined to retain what’s currently his. Junto is fighting on his own homeland turf and this is a great opportunity, although it won’t be straightforward. He’s never lost a fight, while Alex who has a fifty percent KO percentage, has been defeated thrice with five draws. As the fight against vastly experienced Donaire clearly showed, he’s learned from everything along the way and benefited from it. He certainly rose to the occasion when required.
Before making this trek, he’s prepared well, which is just as well, because Junto is looking for the KO. An intriguing contest of skills and experience Vs proven punching power.
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