Early yesterday morning, WBO flyweight champion Junto Nakatani revealed on Twitter that he was flying to Los Angeles. A day later, IBF champ Sunny Edwards retweeted a post claiming the move was in preparation for a unification bout and added the caption “Camp has started.”
This may not wind up going anywhere, but I want to believe. With WBA champ Artem Dalakian content to smash marginal opposition in his native Ukraine once a year, Nakatani (23-0, 18 KO), Edwards (18-0, 4 KO), and Julio Cesar Martinez have formed a clear triumvirate atop the 112 pound division. A matchup between any two of the three would be cause for celebration, this one included.
The towering Nakatani is one of the division’s best finishers at just 24 years old, most recently flattening Angel Acosta’s nose and demolishing countryman Ryota Yamauchi. Edwards, for his part, established himself as arguably its premier technician with last year’s dominant victory over veteran champion Moruti Mthalane and subsequent title defenses.
This is a very good fight from a very good division and it better not be smoke and mirrors; as someone still desperately waiting for any news of Hollow Knight: Silksong, my heart can only take so much more disappointment.