Inoue Outclasses Nakatani by Unanimous Decision in Tokyo Dome Mega-Fight
Naoya Inoue retained his undisputed super bantamweight crown with a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday, settling the biggest all-Japanese fight in boxing history in front of roughly 55,000 fans. Two judges scored the bout 116-112 and a third had it 115-113 for “The Monster,” with no knockdowns across the 12 rounds.
Inoue controlled the early portion of the fight behind a sharp jab, body work and crisp counters, banking points while Nakatani showed too much respect. The challenger surged in the middle rounds, cracking Inoue with heavy left hands and bullying him at times in the eighth and ninth, but a clash of heads late in the 10th opened a cut over Nakatani’s left eye and shifted the fight back. Inoue won the championship rounds, landing a heavy uppercut in the 11th that left Nakatani back-pedaling, then boxed cleanly to the bell in the 12th.
Terence Crawford watched from ringside as Michael Buffer handled introductions for an event Japanese promoters had branded simply as “The Day.” After the fight Inoue told Nakatani he had fought like a true champion. Nakatani, who is suspected of suffering a fractured orbital bone in addition to the cut, said he had no regrets and promised to return.
Asked what is next, Inoue said he wants to rest before deciding. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, super flyweight champion and a top pound-for-pound presence, has already campaigned for the winner and is moving up to 118 to chase a third divisional title. A rematch with Nakatani, a unification at 126, or a date with Sam Goodman are also live options.
Inoue improves to 33-0 with 27 knockouts and remains undisputed at 122 with the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine belts. Long regarded as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, the 33-year-old is now 28-0 in world title fights and added the most prestigious win of a generational career. Nakatani, a former three-division world champion, drops to 32-1 with 24 knockouts.
Source: Boxing Insider, BoxingScene, Yahoo Sports
