Inoue vs Nakatani LIVE!
Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani kicked off a bumper weekend of boxing in Tokyo on Saturday. A sold-out 55,000-capacity crowd at the Tokyo Dome watched arguably the biggest bout in Japanese history that saw two undefeated 32-0 superstars go head to head for the undisputed super-bantamweight world championship. It was one of the most hotly anticipated showdowns of the year and came before David Benavidez rises to challenge for Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez’s cruiserweight titles in Las Vegas, with Conah Walker and Sam Eggington also in action in the UK.
But the headline attraction was in East Asia, where Inoue successfully defended his four belts in the 122-pound division for the seventh time in a thrilling super fight. ‘The Monster’, one of the sport’s modern pound-for-pound greats and most formidable knockout kings, added another exceptional chapter to his remarkable legacy on home soil, handing a first professional loss to three-weight world champion Nakatani, who started too slowly and then saw his rousing comeback attempts halted by a nasty cut.
Naoya’s younger brother Takuma Inoue successfully defended his WBC bantamweight title for the first time with a dominant victory against Kazuto Ioka to begin the main card, while Yoshiki Takei beat DeKang Wang after Jin Sasaki defeated Sora Tanaka. Follow Inoue vs Nakatani reaction live below!
Inoue vs Nakatani results
Live updates
Where are Inoue and Nakatani in pound-for-pound top 10?
A reminder that today’s colossal main event in Tokyo pits The Ring’s current pound-for-pound number two in Naoya Inoue - behind only the great Oleksandr Usyk - against the number six in Junto Nakatani.
A two-time undisputed, four-weight world champion against a three-weight and former unified world champion. Both unbeaten. Both 32-0. It hardly gets much better.
Shakur Stevenson, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Dmitry Bivol currently sit between them.
The Ring’s top 10 is rounded out by David Benavidez, Devin Haney, Oscar Collazo and Emanuel Navarrete.
Benavidez of course steps up to cruiserweight in Las Vegas tonight to challenge Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez for the unified WBA and WBO titles.
Jin Sasaki beats Sora Tanaka in thriller
Jin Sasaki claims the OPBF welterweight title after a 10-round firefight against Sora Tanaka, who suffers his first professional defeat.
Two judges scored it in Sasaki’s favour, 97-93 and 96-94, while another gave it 96-94 to Tanaka.
Sasaki gets it by split decision.
Yoshiki Takei vs Dekang Wang is on the main card, which should be underway shortly.
Sora Tanaka vs Jin Sasaki
Sounds like quite the battle ongoing at the moment between the highly-entertaining Jin Sasaki and Sora Tanaka, where the OPBF welterweight title is on the line.
Sasaki was brutally stopped by Brian Norman Jr in the fifth round in Tokyo last year as he unsuccessfully challenged for the WBO world title at 147 pounds.
He bounced back with his own memorable second-round stoppage of Marlon Pagalpalan in February.
Toshiki Shimomachi has also beaten Reiya Abe in another all-Japanese prelim bout at the Tokyo Dome.
Still waiting for this broadcast to begin...
What time is Inoue vs Nakatani fight?
Yuito Moriwaki now has the OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific super-middleweight titles after victory over South Korea’s Deok No Yun as the early undercard continues at the Tokyo Dome.
We are expecting Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani to be in the ring for the main event at around 1pm BST this afternoon, but that exact timing is subject to change.
Nakatani: I will show what I have in me on biggest stage
Junto Nakatani cut a relaxed figure during the final exchanges this week, revelling in the massive occasion as he looks to send a statement in only his second fight up at super-bantamweight.
He tipped the scales at 121.5 pounds, while Naoya Inoue was slightly heavier at 121.9 pounds.
Already a distinguished three-weight world champion in his own right, becoming undisputed as the first man to defeat the feared Inoue would propel Nakatani into superstardom.
“Weight control is good," said Nakatani.
“I think I'm in great condition.
“I am very grateful [to be here]. I know that not many professional boxers have the chance to stand on this stage.
“On May 2, Junto Nakatani's story will be revealed. I'm looking forward to this fight.
“I will show you guys what I have within me and it will be super cool if people are touched by this fight.”
Inoue: I'll prove against Nakatani that I am still great
Naoya Inoue has exuded his usual quiet confidence during fight week, out to prove that his star is certainly not yet on the wane at 33.
However, he is certainly not underestimating the significant challenge posed by Junto Nakatani, an opponent five years his junior.
“I've done everything I have to do,” Inoue said at Thursday’s low-key final press conference in Tokyo.
“I'm now calm and very skilled, getting ready for May 2.
“[Nakatani] is a clever, smart, very straightforward, hard-working guy. He's a great fighter.
“I need to have a mentality like his to get in the ring against him. I've given everything to be ready.
“Keep your eyes open and don't blink.
“A lot of people will be coming to see boxing for the first time, so it would be good if I could show them how great boxing is.
“I'll show them Naoya Inoue and prove that I'm still great.”
Naoya Inoue's brother Takuma defends WBC bantamweight title
Naoya is not the only Inoue fighting at the Tokyo Dome today.
His younger brother Takuma is again on his sibling’s undercard, competing in another world title fight of his own.
The former WBA bantamweight champion bounced back from losing that gold to Seiya Tsutsumi in his maiden loss and became a two-time titlist by winning the vacant WBC belt at 118 pounds on points against formerly unbeaten kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa at the Toyota Arena in December.
He puts it on the line for the first time on Saturday in the chief support act, against the legendary Kazuto Ioka, the 37-year-old four-weight world champion still on the comeback trail after his pair of super-flyweight title losses to Argentina’s Fernando Martinez.
Ioka was the first four-weight world champion in Japan’s history and is looking to enter the record books again today by winning a title in a fifth different division.
Inoue vs Nakatani prediction
Naoya Inoue is, as ever, the obvious favourite for this showdown between two pound-for-pound stars, but he is certainly not taking the challenge of Junto Nakatani lightly, calling his rival “very clever, serious and completely dedicated to boxing” during the respectful build-up.
‘The Monster’ added this week: “Because he's that type of fighter, I've felt that I've needed to prepare with the same attitude.”
Inoue’s brutal reputation as one of the sport’s most destructive punchers certainly precedes him, but it’s worth noting that he’s gone the distance now in back-to-back meetings with Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso, albeit having dominated both.
His reputation for infallibility has also been impacted somewhat after being knocked down for the first time in his career by Luis Nery and then again by Ramon Cardenas, though he went on to secure spiteful knockouts on both of those occasions.
Despite rising up in weight to meet Inoue, Nakatani is actually the taller man by three inches and boasts a reach advantage that he will hope he can utilise effectively, though there will be obvious concerns at how difficult he appeared to find the challenge of Sebastian Hernandez on his super-bantamweight debut in Riyadh in December, before Inoue brushed aside Picasso.
Inoue is another challenge altogether and we’re backing him to put on another boxing clinic to win comfortably on points, if he is unable to register a late stoppage.
Inoue to win by unanimous decision.
