The Junto Nakatani trainer who not many know in boxing or certainly new fans has said some intriguing things post Naoya Inoue.
Inoue defeated his fighter last weekend by UD on points in front of 55,000 roaring fans at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
The fight delivered with some action in spots and great boxing in others.
The Junto Nakatani trainer, Rudy Hernandez, has actually taken responsibility for the loss.
He also has revealed that what broke Nakatani’s orbital bone was an Inoue uppercut — not the headbutt in round 10.
That shows you the power Inoue hits with even in those small weights. Impressive.
For those that don’t know about the Junto Nakatani trainer Rudy Hernandez here’s who he is:
- LA native, age 62: Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles
- Trains from Maywood: Based at Maywood Boxing Club in Maywood, CA
- Nakatani’s coach since 15: Has trained Junto Nakatani his whole pro career, since 2013
- 2024 Trainer of Year finalist: Named The Ring’s 2024 Trainer of the Year finalist
- Led Nakatani to 3 titles: Guided Nakatani to world titles in 3 divisions, 32-0 record
- Also coaches Olascuaga: Trains WBO flyweight champ Anthony Olascuaga since childhood
- Ex-pro fighter: Went 15-1 before retiring to become a trainer
- Genaro’s brother: Younger brother of late 2-time champ Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez
- Works 48 weekends/year: Top cutman for UFC, PFL, and boxing on top of training
- Builds fighters from scratch: Developed both Nakatani and Olascuaga as teens with little amateur background
All in all, Nakatani’s stock went up for us.
But it was all about Naoya Inoue — the new pound for pound boxing number one for now.
