Saturday Boxing Predictions: Tanaka vs Rodriguez, Nakatani vs Astrolabio

Apr 12, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; A general view of the ring before the WBO World Welterweight Championship fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena between Timothy Bradley Jr. (not pictured) and Manny Pacquiao (not pictured). Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY SportsSaturday boxing features several intriguing fights in Tokyo, JapanWe’ve made predictions for Tanaka vs Rodriguez & Nakatani vs AstrolabioRead below for Saturday boxing predictions and odds for July 20 in Tokyo

Saturday night boxing on July 20th features a loaded card live from the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan. While many casual boxing fans will be locked in on the Jake Paul vs Mike Perry showdown in America, two epic clashes will be taking place across the globe.

Headlining the event is a junior bantamweight title clash between WBO champ Kosei Tanaka and Mexican challenger Jonathan Rodriguez. If that’s not enough to get your blood pumping, the co-main features rising star Junto Nakatani defending his WBC bantamweight strap against tough Filipino Vincent Astrolabio.

Here are our Saturday boxing predictions for Kosei Tanaka vs Jonathan Rodriguez and Junto Nakatani vs Vincent Astrolabio.

Saturday Boxing Odds – July 20

In the Saturday boxing odds, Kosei Tanaka is a -1000 favorite over Jonathan Rodriguez, while Junto Nakatani is a much heavier -2500 favorite over Vincent Astrolabio.

The action kicks off at 5 a.m. ET (10 a.m. UK time) and you can catch all the fights on ESPN+ in the States or Sky Sports Action across the pond. Trust us, this is worth setting your alarm for.

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Tanaka vs Rodriguez Prediction

In the main event, we’ve got four-division champion Kosei Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs) making his first defense of the WBO junior bantamweight title he snagged back in February against Christian Bacasegua Rangel.

At 29, Tanaka has achieved more than most fighters ever will. He has earned titles in strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight, and now junior bantamweight. His only loss was to Kazuto Ioka in 2020 for the WBO super flyweight belt, but he has won five straight fights since then.

🥊Kosei Tanaka 田中恒成 sparring Naoya Inoue 井上尚弥 in November 2021

Tanaka makes the first defence of his WBO Super Flyweight Title on Saturday in Tokyo pic.twitter.com/lYuZcc8Tt3

— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) July 18, 2024

Looking to spoil the party is 28-year-old Mexican slugger Jonathan Rodriguez (25-2-1, 17 KOs). This will be Rodriguez’s second crack at a world title after coming up short against IBF champ Jerwin Ancajas in 2021. He’s gone 3-0-1 since then, most recently fighting Israel Gonzalez to a draw last July.

While Rodriguez definitely has the power to make things interesting, I just don’t see him having the technical chops to hang with a savvy operator like Tanaka.

Look for the champ to put on a show this Saturday, peppering Rodriguez with fast combos and slick footwork en route to a wide points win or possibly a late stoppage.

Saturday Boxing Pick:

Tanaka via unanimous decision Jake Paul vs Mike Perry Prediction, Odds, Fight Start Time & How to WatchRead More

Nakatani vs Astrolabio Prediction

In the co-feature, undefeated Japanese sensation Junto Nakatani (27-0, 20 KOs) puts his WBC bantamweight title on the line against rugged Filipino contender Vincent Astrolabio (19-4, 14 KOs).

The 26-year-old Nakatani has been touted as a future opponent for pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue, and it’s easy to see why. With his rangy southpaw style and devastating power, Nakatani has been mowing down quality opposition like Andrew Moloney and Argi Cortes.

But don’t sleep on Astrolabio. The 27-year-old from General Santos City has fought big names like Jason Moloney and Guillermo Rigondeaux. He showed his punching power last August by stopping Navapon Khaikanha in the 11th round of a WBO title eliminator.

Still, I’ve gotta go with Nakatani here. His size and skill advantages should be too much for Astrolabio to overcome. I’m predicting a mid-to-late rounds TKO for the champ.

Saturday Boxing Best Bet:

Junto Nakatani via TKO

Undercard Bonus Pick

The undercard also features an intriguing battle for the vacant WBO flyweight title between Riku Kano (22-4-2) and Anthony Olascuaga (6-1). Despite some ups and downs, I like Kano’s experience to carry him to victory over the less-proven Olascuaga.

 

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