Japan’s Inoue beats Nakatani to retain undisputed super bantamweight title

Naoya Inoue wins 116-112, 115-113, 116-112 successful a combat billed arsenic the biggest boxing lucifer successful ​Japanese history.

Japanese boxer ‌Naoya Inoue has retained his undisputed ace ⁠bantamweight satellite ⁠title with a unanimous determination triumph implicit compatriot Junto Nakatani aft a gripping 12-round ⁠contest successful Tokyo.

Inoue said helium was “relieved” to bushed Nakatani and enactment unbeaten successful beforehand of 55,000 fans astatine a sold-out Tokyo Dome connected Saturday.

The 33-year-old, celebrated arsenic the Monster, extended his winning streak successful satellite ⁠title bouts to 28 arsenic judges scored the combat 116-112, 115-113 and 116-112 successful his favour.

“It was antithetic to the fights I’ve had before, with the pressure. So I’m relieved that I won,” Inoue said afterwards.

“I don’t cognize if contiguous was a legendary nighttime oregon not, but that’s coming soon.

“Tonight isn’t the extremity constituent of my boxing career, and there’s inactive clip to make much legendary occasions.”

Inoue and Nakatani successful enactment during their ace bantamweight title bout [Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP]

Both boxers entered the bout unbeaten astatine 32-0 successful a ‌contest billed arsenic the biggest boxing lucifer successful Japanese past aft Nakatani moved up a part precocious past year.

Inoue charged aboriginal earlier Nakatani appeared to adjacent the spread successful the second fractional of the combat arsenic ⁠the gait intensified, but a ⁠clash of heads precocious successful the 10th circular opened a chopped supra the challenger’s oculus and stalled his momentum.

“Today I executed ⁠the program that I’d been saying earlier the fight, to enactment ⁠focused connected winning, to marque ⁠sure I was the 1 who came retired arsenic the winner,” Inoue said.

“As you each know, Nakatani is simply a mentally beardown ‌boxer. The information that helium is successful the [top 10] pound-for-pound rankings makes this triumph worthwhile.”

The triumph ‌improved ‌Inoue’s wide grounds to 33 victories, with 27 knockouts (KOs).

Nakatani, who has held satellite titles successful 3 antithetic value classes, was looking to catapult himself into the sport’s apical echelons with a win.

Nicknamed “Big Bang”, the 28-year-old regularly features successful The Ring magazine’s apical 10 pound-for-pound rankings, which complaint the world’s champion boxers careless of value class.

He was warring lone his 2nd bout astatine ace bantamweight, and helium utilized his longer scope to clasp Inoue astatine bay aboriginal successful the fight.

But helium was powerless to forestall his hostile scoring with a bid of pinpoint shots, earlier an accidental headbutt opened up a chopped supra his oculus that troubled him precocious successful the fight.

“I prepared for tons of antithetic eventualities, truthful I wasn’t truly amazed by the mode helium fought,” said Nakatani, who saw his grounds driblet to 32-1, with 24 KOs.

“But helium fought similar a champion, and he’s a large boxer.”

Inoue speaks aft his triumph [Hiro Komae/AP]

The lucifer was fought successful an ambiance of communal respect, with some boxers exchanging smiles and fist bumps throughout.

Inoue was warring astatine the Tokyo Dome for the 2nd time, having beaten Mexico’s Luis Nery determination successful May 2024.

The country astir the stadium was thronged with fans hours earlier the doors opened.

The ambiance reached fever transportation erstwhile Inoue and Nakatani made their entrances for a landmark bout successful Japanese boxing.

“The presumption I had from the ringing was 1 that lone I could savour, but it was acknowledgment to the 55,000 radical successful the stadium that I was capable to spot it,” Inoue said.

“I volition beryllium backmost astatine the Tokyo Dome, truthful delight fto maine savour this presumption again.”