Top Rank is negotiating a promotional deal with undefeated WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani with Teiken Promotions.
According to Fight Freaks, Top Rank plans to add Nakatani (28-0, 21 KOs) to their stable and fight in the US; however, it would not be clear how often.
This deal would work if Nakatani fights regularly in the US. Otherwise, it would be a matter of being out of sight, out of mind, and not a good thing for Top Rank.
Nakatani can be a huge star in the US if he keeps fighting there and if Top Rank can dig up popular guys to showcase his power.
Dream Match with Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez
American fans want to see Nakatani fight Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez in the States. However, Bam's promoter, Eddie Hearn, may oppose that idea because the fight may be lost and badly beaten by the Japanese singer.
Nakatani has a strong hand and crushes his opponents. Hearn must know what the outcome would be for Bam if he fights Nakatani, so he doesn't volunteer to be his next victim.
Bam got a chance to beat old fights past their prime and putting him with Nakatani would ruin the good things he and Hearn have going for their system.
At least when Bam fights Nakatani, fans can see if he's a real person or a guy compared to old fighters like Juan Francisco Estrada, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, and Carlos Cuadras.
Unlike compatriot Naoya Inoue, Nakatani doesn't have blinding hand speed, but he has so much power that it doesn't matter.
Top Rank is also the promoter of Japanese star Naoya Inoue, who hasn't fought in the US in three years since his 2021 fight with Michael Dasmariñas.
Nakatani's Power: Foreman-esque power
American fans have been crying on social media saying that Inoue's fights are not happening in real time. Hopefully it's not like Nakatani because he's more fun to watch than Inoue because of his George Foreman-esque power.
Inoue's last six fights have since been in Japan, and his fights are shown early in the US on ESPN. That's not good for him to see.
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