RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — In his long-awaited junior featherweight debut, Junto Nakatani didn’t quite deliver the explosive statement suggested by his “Big Bang” nickname but he did enough to remain unbeaten.
Nakatani scored a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez on Saturday night at Mohammed Abdo Arena, winning the co-main event of The Ring V: Night of the Samurai on DAZN.
The official scores were 118-110, 115-113, and 115-113. The Ring agreed with the two 115-113 cards, while the wide 118-110 verdict was considered well off the mark.
A Tough Introduction at 122 Pounds
Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) found himself in deep waters against a determined Hernandez, who exceeded expectations and emerged with enhanced stock despite the loss.