Angel Acosta bringing plenty of motivation to flyweight title fight with Junto Nakatani
Angel Acosta (22-2, 21 KOs) is less than a week away from facing WBO world flyweight champion Junto Nakatani (21-0, 16 KOs) on September 10 at the Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona, live on ESPN+.
The 30-year-old from San Juan, Puerto Rico is the former WBO champion at 108 pounds and mandatory challenger for Nakatani’s title. Acosta comes into this fight highly motivated. Not only does the former champ want to become a two-division world champion, but he’s also fighting for much more than himself.
On July 14 Acosta’s trainer and father-in-law, Juan Muciño Ramirez, passed away suddenly in his native Mexico. For the fight against Nakatani, he’s working with a new trainer, Joel Diaz. In a press release to local media in Puerto Rico, the fighter nicknamed “Tito” discusses the transition.
“When my father-in-law passed away, we met as a team with Hector, Miguel, and Bryan to together find the best coach who could work with me for this fight. We made the big decision to call Joel Diaz, and since the beginning of August, I moved to Indio, California, and I am here focused on the fight.
The chemistry has been very good. Joel is a great coach, and we have a great strategy to win the fight. I feel ready. Puerto Rico will have a new world champion on September 10.”
ADJUSTING TO A NEW VOICE
Diaz is one of the most respected trainers in the sport. He has previously trained former world champions Timothy Bradley, Abner Mares, and Joseph Diaz. Joel has said that camp has gone well, and “Tito” has been a true professional throughout.
“Tito Acosta is one of the most disciplined boxers I have ever worked with. Follow the instructions exactly as I tell you. We are working not only to win but also to win big.”
Nakatani v Acosta takes place on the undercard of WBC world 130 pound champ Oscar Valdez’s title defense against challenger Robson Conceicao. Due to the controversy involving Valdez, the contest between Nakatani and Acosta has been largely ignored.
However, this flyweight world title fight is one of the compelling fights of the year. Acosta is pound for pound one of the hardest hitters in the sport. Nakatani is a slick and smooth southpaw with punching power. On paper, it has the potential to be the fight of the night. If incentive counts for anything, “Tito” is a dangerous threat. This is a fight worth watching if you consider yourself a true boxing fan.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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