Junto Nakatani said he won¡¯t be intimidated when he faces fellow unbeaten countryman Naoya ¡°Monster¡± Inoue on Saturday in front of 55,000 fans at a sold-out Tokyo Dome.
Nakatani is aiming to dethrone undisputed super bantamweight world champion Inoue and take his place as the new king of Japanese boxing.
Both fighters have 32-0 records and the bout has generated huge interest at home and overseas.
Nakatani told reporters after Friday¡¯s weigh-in that he was ¡°in perfect shape¡± and determined to grab his shot at the big time.
¡°I want to use everything that I¡¯ve learned along the way in the ring,¡± said the 28-year-old, who is five years younger and eight centimeters?(three inches) taller than his opponent.
¡°I want to tell my story and get the win.¡±
Both fighters made weight for the fight, with Inoue on the limit at 122 pounds (55.3 kilograms) and Nakatani at 121 pounds.
The weigh-in took place in front of over 1,000 fans at a venue next door to Tokyo Dome.
¡°You can feel the energy more when you¡¯re standing on the stage in front of all those fans,¡± said Nakatani, who has 24 knockouts.
Nakatani is a former world champion in three different weight classes.
He made his super bantamweight debut in his previous fight, a unanimous decision win over Mexico¡¯s Sebastian Hernandez in late December.
Inoue defended his titles against Mexico¡¯s Alan David Picasso on the same card in Saudi Arabia.
Nicknamed ¡°Big Bang,¡°?Nakatani said he does not fear Inoue, who has 27 KOs and is renowned for his destructive punching.
¡°I¡¯ve had an image of what I want to do all along,¡± Nakatani said.
¡°Tomorrow I just have to go out and express that.¡±
Inoue has experience?fighting at the Tokyo Dome, having beaten Mexico¡¯s Luis Nery there two years ago.
He will be defending his titles for a seventh time.
The 33-year-old said he was prepared for a tactical battle.
¡°There is more than just one way to fight this match,¡± said Inoue.
¡°I have lots of things in my head, and I want to keep them in mind when I enter the ring.¡±
Inoue¡¯s younger brother Takuma, the WBC world bantamweight champion, will fight Kazuto Ioka in another all-Japanese clash on the undercard.
The 37-year-old Ioka is attempting to win a world title in a fifth different weight class.
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