Junto Nakatani is reportedly set for surgery after suffering a fractured left orbital bone during his May 2 defeat to Naoya Inoue at the Tokyo Dome.
The injury was reportedly confirmed by Nakatani’s trainer, Rudy Hernandez, and is believed to have occurred late in the fight after an accidental clash of heads in the 10th round. Nakatani still completed all 12 rounds, losing by unanimous decision in one of the biggest Japanese boxing events of the year.
The setback could delay any potential rematch with Inoue until 2027. Hernandez has already pushed strongly for a second fight, saying: “If we don’t beat him in the rematch, I will never train fighters again. I will quit.”
Inoue has also left the door open to facing Nakatani again, though he has other options, including a possible move up in weight or a discussed fight with Jesse Rodriguez.
Hernandez reportedly expects Nakatani to return to training in around three to four months, but a major rematch before the end of 2026 now looks much harder to make.
Image Credit: WBC