The true super fight that will have an entire country tuning in takes place on Saturday, May 2, live on DAZN (Main Event ringwalks estimated at 8 am ET/ 5 am PT) from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoye Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) will defend his titles against undefeated top contender Junto Nakatani, with reports of a sold-out crowd of over 55,000 fans.
The 28-year-old Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) has been a world champion in three different weight classes and is considered the biggest threat to Inoue’s reign in recent years. With so much on the line, this fight is the “talk of the town” in Japan, as people there are buzzing over who will come out victorious.
With it being such a significant event, I took a two-hour drive north to see Nakatani wind down the U.S. part of his training camp before flying to Japan. If demeanor were a sign of nervousness, Nakatani’s would be considered calm. You couldn’t tell that he was only two weeks away, at the time, from likely the biggest fight of his career. A fight that had been widely discussed for quite some time.
The thought of this fight became a reality in April 2025 during the annual boxing awards dinner in Japan, which highlights its fighters in various categories. In a surprising move, Inoue got on the podium and announced that, in a year, he would fight Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome. He called Nakatani to the front; they shook hands and took photos. In that moment, the fight was verbally agreed to.
Unlike fighters here in the U.S., who bicker on social media and never fight each other, Inoue’s statement was taken as a sign that a fight was happening. Inoue is a superstar in Japan, and when he says something is going to happen, it does, which is why everyone began to think about what that would look like. Nakatani told FightsATW that when he heard Inoue call him out at the dinner, he thought to himself, “Yea, let’s do it!”
11 months later, the fight was formally announced for May 2, and Japan, along with hardcore fans all over the world, has been buzzing ever since. The reaction in Japan has been on another level, with the Tokyo Dome quickly selling out. They are expecting over 55,000 fans in attendance come fight night, with the who’s who of Japan and its pop culture. Nakatani’s reaction to the number of people who bought tickets for the fight is as expected: cool, calm, and collected, with a pinch of excitement. “I feel very happy as a fighter,” Nakatani told FightsATW. “Not too many fighters are fighting at the Tokyo Dome for this type of event.”
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From discussions with people in Japan, it appears that some feel Inoue will win, while others like Nakatani’s chances of an upset. Nakatani isn’t bothered if more of the Japanese fans are rooting for Inoue, as he sees it as something expected when fighting someone of that level. He can take that stance because his training camp, like his others, was held at the LA Boxing Gym under the watchful eye of trainer Rudy Hernandez. For this camp, Nakatani knew it would require more, so he was pushed further than he had been before. “I was more motivated throughout training camp than I have been for the others,” said Nakatani. “This training camp helped me to develop and improve my skills mentally and physically.”
Arriving in Japan two weeks before the fight would accomplish two things: acclimate him to the time zone and help him stay focused amid the chaos of media obligations. “I’ll be focused on the fight,” he said. “If people come to the gym, it’s fine. I enjoy meeting people, and it’s not going to be a distraction. I’ll enjoy it all.”
@abeg718 In this special edition of the #boxingrushhourshow , I had the pleasure of speaking to undefeated super bantamweight contender Junto Nakatani, who will face the undisputed champion Naoya Inoue on Saturday, May 2, in #tokyo at the sold-out Tokyo Dome in Japan, which will see more than 55,000 fans in attendance. #juntonakatani #naoyainoue #boxing #boxinginterview #boxing🥊 #japan #japanboxing #japanese #japaneseboxing
On Saturday, Nakatani will face a future Hall of Famer in Inoue, and when the fight is over, he thinks the fans will say to themselves, “Junto made a big impression, and Junto is a very good fighter.” He has a special message for U.S. fans who will be up early to watch this fight on DAZN. “I know it’s going to be early morning in the U.S., so wake up, as it’s going to be a very good fight.”
In the current landscape of boxing, where the best don’t always fight the best when they should, we are getting the best fight that can be made at 122 pounds at the right time. All that is left is for the two competitors to deliver on what, on paper, is a super fight.
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