WBC world bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani has left the door ajar for a possible showdown with fellow pound-for-pound star Jesse Rodriguez.
The 27-year-old will collide with IBF titlist Ryosuke Nishida on June 8, headlining a show at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo, Japan.
Ahead of his unification, ‘Big Bang’ boasts four consecutive stoppage victories – all of which at 118lbs – since progressing from his equally dominant reign at super-flyweight.
But still, three-division world champion Nakatani, 30-0 (23 KOs), remains determined to claim a sizable scalp, with every elite-level operator in the lower divisions occupying his hit list.
Super-bantamweight king Naoya Inoue, of course, represents his most preferred dance partner, as with the pair having been on a collision course for quite some time, their showdown finally looks likely to materialise in 2026.
At the same time, though, Nakatani has expressed a willingness to keep his options open, knowing full well that an all-Japanese dustup with Inoue is far from guaranteed.
One fighter that could make for an intriguing opponent is WBC world super-flyweight champion Rodriguez, 21-0 (14 KOs), who is seemingly more than capable of rising up through the divisions.
Before anything else, the 25-year-old must first get past WBO titlist Phumelela Cafu – a formidable champion in his own right – on July 19.
But afterwards – should he unify the 115lb division, that is – a potential outing with Nakatani could, all of a sudden, make a great deal of sense for ‘Bam.’
In a perfect world, their mouth-watering matchup may even take place later this year, with the winner pushing on to face Inoue several months later.
Either way, Nakatani remains open to any challenge.
“I’m interested in fighting anyone who’s strong, or is a good fighter,” he told Boxing News. “So yes, [fighting Rodriguez] would definitely be an interest of mine.”
