Astrolabio heavy underdog in WBC title shot

Japanese champion Junto Nakatani is so heavily favored that oddsmakers have installed him at -2500 against Filipino mandatory challenger Vincent Astrolabio in their World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight clash this Saturday at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena in Tokyo.

In contrast, Astrolabio is listed at +1480.

To make it less technical, a chunky $2500 wager on Nakatani will win just $100 while a paltry $100 on Astrolabio will win $1480.

Parading an immaculate 27-0 win-loss card with 20 knockouts, the southpaw Nakatani will be making the first defense of the WBC 118-lb crown he had won last February by knocking out the usually durable Alejandro Santiago of Mexico.

Astrolabio, a right-hander, holds a 19-4 mark with 14 knockouts and will be making his second shot at a world title after being denied to win one by Jason Moloney of Australia when he challenged for the World Boxing Organization version of the bantam belt.

He earned the right to face Nakatani when he won a tough title elimination fight in Thailand last year.

Nakatani is one of Japan’s finest world champions and is actually regarded as the best fighter next to Naoya “Monster” Inoue.

Astrolabio and his team arrived in Tokyo last Sunday upbeat that when they head back to Manila, they would be treated like conquering heroes.

Regardless of what happens to Astrolabio’s title try, another Filipino fighter is scheduled to challenge for a world title on 28 July, this time in Otsu City, near Kyoto, when Pedro Taduran collides with defending champion Ginjiro Shigeoka for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight plum.

Then on 9 August, Dave Apolinario battles Angel Ayala of Mexico for the vacant IBF fly diadem in Mexico City.