Japanese Kenshiro Shunpei blows into town to help Filipino Vincent Astrolabio prepare for his shot at the world bantamweight title on 20 July in Tokyo.Photograph COURTESY OF Viva Promotions

Clone of world champ arrives

Published on:

01 Jun 2024, 16:18

Owing to the difficulty of finding a local guy who can approximate the style and build of Junto Nakatani, the camp of Filipino puncher Vincent Astrolabio has imported somebody from Japan to help him get ready for his much-awaited crack at the World Boxing Council bantamweight belt in July.

Kaneshiro Shunpei, a 23-year-old Japanese southpaw, is now in Davao City to serve as one of Astrolabio’s sparring partners.

His fee, airfare and accommodations are being shouldered by Astrolabio’s chief handler Sean Gibbons, who is moving heaven and earth to boost the chances of winning of his fighter against Nakatani on 20 July at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena in Tokyo.

Shunpei will join a rotation with two other Filipiuno sparmates who Astrolabio’s trainer Nonoy Neri tapped to help in the buildup: Ariel Antimaro and Lienard Sarcon.

Shunpei, born in Saitama, arrived from Osaka on Saturday morning and immediately flew to Davao City.

The shot at Nakatani’s WBC 118-lb strap will be Astrolabio’s second chance at winning a world crown after being denied by Australian Jason Moloney last year in Stockton, California.