‘Disgusting’ – Junto Nakatani narrowly avoids upset to win with eye left swollen shut as fans fume at scorecard

Junto Nakatani avoided a major scare as he beat rampant Sebastian Hernandez in a brutal war of attrition.

Nakatani made his first step-up to super bantamweight having previously reigned as a unified world champion at 118lbs.

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‘Big Bang’ was looking to set up a huge showdown with long-term rival Naoya Inoue in 2026, with ‘The Monster’ fighting Alan Picasso immediately afterwards.

Standing in his way was unbeaten Mexican Sebastian Hernandez who was looking to cause an upset and derail the huge all-Japanese undisputed clash next year.

Many expected the unknown quantity to roll over against the brilliance of Nakatani, but he did anything but that.

The Mexican put on a sensational display and gave Nakatani an extremely turbulent evening, pushing him to the very final bell with relentless output.

By the end of the bout, it was on a knife edge, with many unable to separate the pair on the scorecards.

But incredibly, Nakatani was handed the unanimous decision victory with the tallies in favour of him by 115-113, 115-113 and 118-110.

It was far closer than that and Hernandez was denied a monumental upset, with Nakatani avoiding a huge scare.

The 118-110 scorecard was heavily examined at the final bell, with DAZN commentator Darren Barker branding the card ‘disgusting’.

Others flocked to social media to share their opinion with one writing: “That is a crazy scorecard, wtf.”

Another agreed: “Furious with that scorecard, completely skewed. I even had Hernandez winning.”

Nakatani vs Hernandez – what happened?

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Nakatani set out to make a statement on his weight divisional debut, with the looming possibility of fulfilling his ambition to meet Inoue resting on his shoulders.

Immediately following the opening bell, it was clear Nakatani was looking to press forward and take the early aggression with a left hand already stinging the jaw of Hernandez in the early stages.

The punch variation, speed and precision of Nakatani was just too much for Hernandez after three rounds, with the Mexican having a huge uphill battle on his hands.

Proceedings were going almost entirely in the 122lbs debutant’s favour, who looked extremely dangerous and was landing some tremendous shots, but Hernandez pushed the pace and showed some signs of life in the fourth.

As the midway point approached, Nakatani was in control and dictating the showdown with his elegant work having landed over 130 crisp shots already.

Hernandez was trying to up the tempo and drag Nakatani into close quarter exchanges, but was being caught by some booming uppercuts and heavy left hands.

Matchroom Boxing

It was a truly thrilling clash though with Hernandez refusing to bow down to the heavy shots marching forwards when possible, and trying to overtake the elite opposition’s output which he did as the fight went on.

Hernandez started to take control of the bout in stunning fashion beyond the sixth, with his persistent all-action style starting to really bear fruit.

And foot to the pedal was exactly how both fighters were approaching, with round nine catching fire as Hernandez landed a big right hand on the inside, but Nakatani instantly responded with a left lead combination of his own.

The tide had certainly turned with Hernandez carrying momentum going into the final periods, as he left it all in the ring and started to turn the judges’ heads.

Nakatani carried severe swelling on his right eye, as it showed he had been in a real tough encounter, with palpable nerves and tension for those who wanted to see him fight Inoue.

It was hairy moments for Nakatani who was having to dig deep to match the marauding Hernandez who was catching the Japanese star with more and more straight shots.

Nakatani’s eye was swollen shut as the doctor took a brief look before the final round unfolded, and the bout was on a complete knife edge.

Matchroom Boxing

But ultimately it was Nakatani who took the victory on the scorecards, despite most believing it was given by a far wider margin than warranted.

Now he has ensured with victory that a blockbuster clash with Inoue remains on the cards for next year, which is being eyed for May at the Tokyo Dome.