1 month ago
Naoya Inoue made it to nan pinnacle of his athletics pinch a destructive upward surge done boxing’s weight classes not seen since Manny Pacquiao’s prime. And he has made it clear he plans to enactment location successful nan last run-up to his toughest trial yet against unbeaten rival Junto Nakatani successful their sold-out dream conflict astatine nan Tokyo Dome connected Saturday.
Speaking astatine a property convention astatine nan Tokyo Dome Hotel connected Thursday, nan undisputed super-bantamweight champion struck a composed reside up of 1 of nan astir anticipated bouts of a sparkling profession that flew past nan Hall of Fame period years ago.
“There’s only 1 thing: I’m wished to triumph successful 2 days,” Inoue said.
Athletes for illustration Inoue do not travel on often. The 5ft 5in knockout merchant known arsenic nan Monster captured his first world title astatine 108lb successful conscionable his sixth master outing earlier adding a 2nd title astatine 115lb successful his eighth, past unifying each 4 awesome belts astatine 118lb and 122lb successful a 378-day span. At 33, he is already 1 of nan finest fighters astatine immoderate weight from immoderate era: a existent superstar pinch a sensation for devastating finishes that belies his polite mien. He is nan top show successful sports today.
But fights for illustration Saturday’s are moreover rarer successful a athletics wherever nan champion seldom look disconnected successful their primes. Both men participate pinch identical 32-0 records and world titles astatine aggregate weights. Both are fixtures successful nan pound-for-pound conversation, pinch Inoue astatine No 2 and Nakatani astatine No 6 connected Ring Magazine’s most caller list.
It is being billed arsenic nan biggest conflict successful Japanese boxing history and this clip nan promotional bluster whitethorn moreover beryllium true: 2 undefeated homegrown stars successful a sounded conflict wrong nan Big Egg during nan Golden Week holiday. The 55,000 tickets were hoovered up almost instantly, while unrecorded closed-circuit screenings astatine much than 100 cinemas crossed nan state person besides sold out.
Inoue, a seven-time Japanese amateur nationalist champion who trains retired of nan Ohashi Gym successful Yokohama nether his father, Shingo, said he was entering nan bout pinch a consciousness of calm.
“I’ve done everything I needed to do, truthful I don’t really person immoderate peculiar feelings astir it correct now,” he said Thursday. “I get nan belief that Nakatani has had immoderate really bully training. I myself person besides had immoderate really awesome training.”
The Monster will beryllium making his seventh defense of his WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles astatine 122lb against a rangy southpaw wide viewed arsenic his astir vulnerable force successful years. Nakatani brings beingness advantages successful tallness (three inches), scope (one inch) and property (five years), while his left-handed stance looms arsenic a superior factor. Luis Nery and Ramon Cardenas person troubled Inoue pinch antagonistic lefts successful nan past, moreover if some were yet overwhelmed erstwhile he recovered his rhythm.
There person besides been little flashes of vulnerability. Inoue, who had 4 bouts successful 2025, has been dropped successful caller outings, astir notably by Cardenas past year. After winning 11 fights successful a statement by knockout, he was extended nan region successful wins complete Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Alan David Picasso, pinch nan second capacity drafting uncommon muted reviews.
On Thursday, Inoue framed nan upcoming conflict arsenic an opportunity to reaffirm his standing.
“I want to beryllium that I’m still Naoya Inoue,” he said.
The bout has captured nan attraction of nan broader Japanese public, touted breathlessly arsenic 「世紀の一戦」 – nan “Fight of nan Century” – by nan country’s large 5 nationalist sports dailies. That anticipation has filtered down to thoroughfare level. In Kanagawa prefecture, residents of Zama and Sagamihara – nan neighboring location towns of Inoue and Nakatani – staged a City Border Challenge festival, complete pinch a lighthearted mayoral showdown connected a robot boxing instrumentality earlier hundreds of locals.
Japan’s boxing practice is simply a robust one, pinch an extended lineage of awesome champions including Yoshio Shirai, Fighting Harada, Masao Ohba, Yoko Gushiken and Shinsuke Yamanaka. But moreover amid a modern boom, Inoue sees Saturday arsenic a chance to widen nan sport’s appeal.
“I want to engrave my fighting tone successful your memory,” he said. “I deliberation location will beryllium a batch of fans who are coming to spot a boxing lucifer for nan first time. I want to show them really breathtaking and astonishing boxing tin be, and really thrilling a lucifer tin beryllium erstwhile apical fighters compete against each other.”
Nakatani, a three-division world champion astatine flyweight, super-flyweight and bantamweight who moved to Los Angeles arsenic a teen to train nether Rudy Hernandez astatine nan LA Boxing Gym successful Little Tokyo, said he was embracing nan standard of nan juncture and nan challenge.
“I don’t deliberation location are galore boxers who get to guidelines successful a spot for illustration this,” he said. “I’ve been building up nan training campy while enjoying myself and emotion grateful. It’s been a fulfilling training camp.”
He added that his mentation had gone smoothly, including nan last stages of weight guidance earlier Friday’s weigh-in.
“My weight guidance is going smoothly. I conscionable request to suffer a fewer 100 grams more,” he said.
The standard of Saturday’s promotion extends beyond nan gate. While nonstop purses are not publically disclosed, Inoue’s net person surged alongside his profile. Sportico placed his 2025 income astatine astir ¥9.7bn ($62m) including endorsements, while his erstwhile Tokyo Dome quality against Nery successful May 2024 was said to person generated much than ¥1bn erstwhile commercialized revenues were included.
Inoue’s takehome for Saturday is expected to surpass moreover his caller Saudi payday, underlining some his drafting powerfulness and nan financial maturation of Japanese boxing – a displacement his longtime promoter, nan erstwhile world champion Hideyuki Ohashi, described Thursday arsenic “a world afloat of dreams” compared pinch his ain era.
Nakatani, known for his quiet demeanor and emotion of water fishing, has been installed arsenic astir a 3-1 longshot successful nan fight. In a canvass of 10 erstwhile Japanese world champions conducted by Sports Hochi, all 10 picked Inoue to win. But connected Thursday, nan challenger appeared unbothered to beryllium overshadowed while angling for nan biggest drawback of all.
“On 2 May, nan lives that Naoya and I person built up until now will clash,” he said. “My information is really galore group will beryllium moved by this. I want to afloat show that.”
