The biggest fight that can be made in the lower weight classes was officially announced on Friday in Japan.
Undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) will defend his titles against former three-division champion Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) on May 2 at the historic Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. This fight, which most hardcore fans would consider a “super fight,” has been building for quite some time as Inoue has collected and defended his titles while Nakatani has done the same while gradually moving up divisions in dominant fashion. Now, the two will fight in an expected sold-out Tokyo Dome in a match that will likely have the entire country tuned in.
The 32-year-old Inoue has been hinting that his career might end sooner than expected. Although Inoue is only 32, that is considered an advanced age in the smaller weight classes, as he has shown vulnerability in the ring at times during recent fights. He remains a destructive force, and even on his off nights, Inoue is still better than most fighters in his weight class. This will be the biggest challenge Inoue has faced in quite some time, as Nakatani is a special talent. Acknowledging what was ahead, Inoue has mostly fought southpaws recently, which can be seen as preparation for Nakatani.
The 28-year-old Nakatani has been chomping at the bit for this opportunity, and his trainer, Rudy Hernandez, has been closely watching Inoue for quite some time. Nakatani understands that Inoue is the biggest star in Japan, and if he ever wants to be in that position, he has to beat Inoue to get there. Nakatani’s next-level boxing skills are what make this matchup so intriguing.
The rest of the card supporting this event is set to deliver one of the greatest boxing nights in Japan’s history. Here is the fight card for Inoue-Nakatani.
Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) vs. Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) for Inoue’s Ring, undisputed 126-pound world titles
Takuma Inoue (21-2, 5 KOs) vs. Kazuto Ioka (32-4-1, 17 KOs) for Inoue’s WBC 118-pound world title
Featherweight: Toshiki Shimomachi (22-1-3, 12 KOs) vs. Reiya Abe (28-4-2, 10 KOs)
Welterweight: Sora Tanaka (5-0, 5 KOs) vs. Jin Sasaki (20-2-1, 18 KOs)
Flyweight: Kosuke Tomioka (11-4, 8 KOs) vs. Shogo Tanaka (5-0, 3 KOs)
Super middleweight: Deok No Yun (10-2-1, 8 KOs) vs. Yutio Moriwaki (1-0-1)
Bantamweight, 8 rounds: Yoshiki Takei (11-1, 9 KOs) vs. Dekang Wang (9-1, 3 KOs)
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
