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Takuma Inoue, Naoya’s younger brother, has conscionable defended his WBC bantamweight title pinch a 12-round unanimous-decision triumph complete Kazuto Ioka connected nan undercard. Ioka recovered nicely from a brace of early knockdowns successful nan 2nd and 3rd rounds, but nan result was ne'er successful uncertainty – peculiarly pinch nan unfastened scoring successful use. The charismatic scores were 118-108, 119-107 and 120-106.
The 37-year-old Ioka fell short successful his bid to triumph a world title successful a 5th different weight class, joining Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford, nan recently retired American star who is taking successful tonight’s fights from ringside.
Preamble
Welcome to nan Tokyo Dome for what’s judge to beryllium an unforgettable juncture successful nan annals of Japanese sport. Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani, 2 multiple-weight boxing champions pinch identical 32-0 records, meet coming astatine a sold-out stadium successful a long-awaited showdown that has been accurately billed arsenic nan biggest conflict successful Japan’s rich | boxing history. A crowd of 55,000 fans person packed nan Big Egg during nan Golden Week vacation pinch countless much watching successful sold-out cinemas crossed nan country.
For Inoue, this is acquainted terrain. The 33-year-old undisputed 122lb champion has spent astir his full master life carving done boxing’s weight divisions pinch a unsocial cocktail of speed, footwork and concussive power, winning titles astatine 108lb and 115lb earlier unifying each 4 awesome belts astatine bantamweight and super-bantamweight successful a destructive ascent that has drawn comparisons to Manny Pacquiao. Known arsenic nan Monster, he enters tonight’s bout connected a tally of 28 consecutive wins successful world title fights and seldom been extended nan distance, moreover if caller outings person offered flickers of vulnerability.
But Nakatani is not conscionable different challenger. Five years younger, people bigger and a rangy southpaw, nan 28-year-old arrives arsenic possibly nan astir vulnerable force of Inoue’s career. A three-division world champion who has honed his trade successful Los Angeles, wherever he moved from Japan arsenic a teen to train nether Rudy Hernandez, Nakatani brings successful beingness advantages successful tallness (three inches) and scope (one inch) on pinch nan benignant of quiet assurance that has defined his rise.
The stakes widen beyond belts and home bragging rights. Both fighters 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 uncommon capable successful boxing coming for nan champion to meet astatine their peak. Rarer still for them to do truthful connected a shape for illustration this.
The conflict has been dubbed 「世紀の一戦」 – nan “Fight of nan Century” – by Japan’s large 5 sports dailies. Hyperbole is portion of boxing’s basal grammar. But connected nights for illustration this, it tin consciousness justified. Stay pinch america for unrecorded updates, round-by-round sum and guidance arsenic 1 of nan astir anticipated fights of nan twelvemonth unfolds successful Tokyo.
Bryan will beryllium present shortly. In nan meantime here’s his lookahead to Saturday’s main arena successful Tokyo.
