If you’re hoping to see WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani face off against IBF titleholder Ryosuke Nishida anytime soon, you might want to prepare yourself for a bit of a wait. According to Anson Wainwright from The Ring, Nishida is set to take on mandatory challenger Jose “El Chapulin” Salas on May 28th in Tokyo.
Salas, who’s just 22 years old, has an impressive record of 15-0 with 10 knockouts. However, his resume is a bit light when it comes to big-name opponents, aside from a victory over an aging Aston Palicte. This fight with Nishida, who is undefeated at 10-0 with two knockouts, marks a significant step up in competition for Salas. Nishida had a breakout year in 2024, enduring severe facial injuries to defeat long-time contender Emmanuel Rodriguez and then dominating Anuchai Donsua with a knockout victory, which was his first since he began his pro career in 2019.
The good news, as Wainwright reports, is that the unification bout with Nakatani is still being considered for the fall. Since Nakatani emerged unscathed from his recent decisive victory over David Cuellar, he might have the opportunity to defend his title again before then. Personally, I’d love to see him go head-to-head with either Seiya Tsutsumi or Yoshiki Takei. However, that seems unlikely due to Tsutsumi’s brutal clash with Daigo Higa and Takei’s current injury.
