1 month ago
Naoya Inoue successfully defended his undisputed super-bantamweight title pinch a adjacent but uncontroversial 12-round unanimous decision complete Junto Nakatani successful their eagerly anticipated showdown astatine nan Tokyo Dome connected Saturday night.
Before a sellout crowd of astir 55,000 spectators during Japan’s Golden Week holiday, Inoue held disconnected a fierce precocious surge from his unbeaten rival to triumph by scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 115-113 and clasp nan WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO belts astatine 122lb, extending his cleanable grounds successful what had been billed arsenic the biggest conflict successful Japanese boxing history. (The Guardian had it 115-113 for Inoue.)
The four-division world champion nicknamed nan Monster had spoken during conflict week astir wanting to “prove that I’m still Naoya Inoue”, possibly a motion to nan whispers of his purported decline. But nan 33-year-old showed why he remains 1 of nan world’s champion fighters sloppy of weight – if not nan outright pound-for-pound king – by getting nan amended of a taller, longer, younger challenger seen arsenic his astir vulnerable force successful years.
“I’m 33 now and I was fighting against a Japanese combatant who’s coming up successful nan pound-for-pound rankings, truthful I was wished not to lose,” Inoue said afterwards. “It was different to nan fights I’ve had before, pinch nan pressure. So I’m relieved that I won.”
From nan opening bell, nan magnitude of nan juncture seemed to settee complete nan arena. The immense dome fell nether an almost complete soundlessness successful nan first round, nan crowd absorbed by some fighters arsenic they took 1 another’s measure. Inoue was nan first to enforce himself, edging guardant down a crisp jab that allowed him to gaffe wrong and disrupt Nakatani’s rhythm. The challenger spent overmuch of nan information connected nan backmost foot, concisely thrown disconnected equilibrium astatine 1 point. While fewer punches landed cleanly, nan early inaugural belonged to nan champion.
That shape held done nan opening frames. Inoue’s manus velocity and footwork were instantly apparent, his expertise to dart successful and retired of scope giving Nakatani pause. Both men probed pinch nan jab done nan 3rd pinch Nakatani looking to antagonistic erstwhile Inoue stepped into nan pocket, but nan exchanges mostly favored nan champion.
“Naoya is rather bully learner,” Nakatani later said erstwhile pressed connected his passive opening, which saw each 3 ringside judges people nan first 4 rounds for Inoue. “He learns a batch successful specified a short play of time. I didn’t want to disclose everything I had successful nan early rounds, truthful that’s why I fought that way.”
The conflict settled into a tactical hit done nan mediate stages. Nakatani appeared reluctant to perpetrate fully, wary of what mightiness travel back, while Inoue gradually accrued nan pace, landing nan much telling shots. By nan fifth, Nakatani produced his champion activity to that point. It was a reminder that nan conflict was acold from one-sided, moreover arsenic Inoue continued to separator up connected nan scorecards.
Each clip Nakatani threatened to build momentum, Inoue had an answer. When nan challenger recovered abstraction to activity successful nan sixth, nan champion responded successful kind, snapping backmost combinations pinch precision and authority. Yet Nakatani was opening to measurement guardant much and return connected risks that he had avoided earlier.
Sensing he was down successful nan seventh, Nakatani pressed nan action, forcing exchanges and drafting nan crowd into nan action. The eighth was nan astir compelling information to that point, some men letting their hands spell successful sustained firefights. Inoue’s jab remained a stabilizing force, many times halting Nakatani’s attempts to enforce himself, but nan younger fighter’s renewed consciousness of urgency was unmistakable.
It paid disconnected for him successful nan ninth arsenic Nakatani surged, backing Inoue up and moving successful combinations pinch expanding confidence. A crisp uppercut followed by a near manus punctuated a beardown information and he carried that momentum into a furious 10th, throwing pinch wantonness and landing punishing blows arsenic Inoue was forced connected to nan protect successful ways fewer of his opponents person managed.
Then came nan accidental conflict of heads that near Nakatani pinch humor streaming down his face. As he tried to worker done it, Inoue planted his feet and met him pinch a dense correct hand, past a crisp uppercut that snapped nan challenger’s caput back. With humor from nan trim progressively affecting Nakatani, Inoue reasserted power pinch nan finishing footwear of a champion.
Defeat does small to diminish Nakatani’s standing. The three-division champion demonstrated resilience, adaptability and a willingness to push 1 of nan sport’s champion fighters to nan limit. Against astir opponents, his second-half rally mightiness person been enough. But Inoue is not astir fighters.
“I prepared for tons of different eventualities truthful I wasn’t really amazed by nan measurement he fought,” Nakatani said. “But he fought for illustration a champion and he’s a awesome boxer.”
Having defended nan super-bantamweight titles for a seventh time, Inoue tightens his grip connected nan 122lb section and writes different section successful a sparkling profession that had crossed nan Hall of Fame period galore years ago. And while it whitethorn look location are vanishingly fewer worlds near for him to conquer, a showdown pinch unified 115lb champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez already has fans abuzz.
“I had 4 fights past twelvemonth and past present astatine nan Tokyo Dome coming and that has taken its toll, truthful please fto maine remainder for a while now,” Inoue said. “After that, I’ll travel backmost and speak to my squad and shape different conflict that everyone tin get excited about.”
