Naoya Inoue retained his undisputed super-bantamweight championship with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Junto Nakatani before a sold-out crowd of approximately 55,000 spectators at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday night. The official judges scored the bout 116-112 (twice) and 115-113 in favour of the defending champion, who extended his remarkable winning streak to 28 consecutive world championship fights.
A Battle of Undefeated Champions
The long-awaited showdown between two undefeated multiple-weight world champions lived up to its billing as the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history. Inoue, known as "The Monster," entered the ring with a 32-0 record, while Nakatani, a three-division champion, also boasted an unblemished 32-0 mark. The challenger held natural advantages in height (three inches) and reach (one inch), as well as a southpaw stance that posed unique challenges for Inoue.
Inoue started strongly, using his superior speed and footwork to land crisp combinations. However, Nakatani rallied in the middle rounds, finding success with his counter left hand and testing the champion's durability. The fight remained close throughout, with Inoue pulling away in the championship rounds to secure the victory.
Inoue's Post-Fight Comments
Speaking through an interpreter after the fight, Inoue expressed gratitude to his opponent and the fans. "Thank you, everyone! I would like to show some appreciation for Junto Nakatani for fighting me tonight. A year ago at the world ceremony, I called out Junto to fight me one day and a year later it happened. I wanted to show you guys that I would be the winner, and I did everything to get the win."
When asked about his future plans, Inoue said, "I think I need to rest for a little bit." This marked his fifth fight in the last 15 months, a gruelling schedule that has kept him active across multiple weight divisions.
Undercard Highlights
The undercard featured Takuma Inoue, Naoya's younger brother, successfully defending his WBC bantamweight title with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over Kazuto Ioka. Takuma dropped Ioka twice early in the fight and cruised to victory with scores of 118-108, 119-107 and 120-106. Ioka, at 37, fell short in his bid to become a world champion in a fifth different weight class.
In the co-main event, Yoshiki Takei defeated DeKang Wang by majority decision in an eight-round junior featherweight contest. Takei, a former WBO bantamweight champion, bounced back from a loss to Christian Medina last year with scores of 77-75, 76-76 and 78-74.
Historical Context
The fight was dubbed "Fight of the Century" by Japan's major sports dailies, and the atmosphere at the Tokyo Dome during Golden Week was electric. Both fighters are fixtures in the pound-for-pound rankings, with Inoue at No. 2 and Nakatani at No. 6 according to Ring Magazine. The victory solidifies Inoue's legacy as one of the greatest boxers of his generation, having unified titles at bantamweight and super-bantamweight after previously winning belts at 108lb and 115lb.
Inoue has now made seven consecutive successful defences of his four super-bantamweight belts (WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF). The win also sets up potential future bouts, though the champion indicated he will take time to rest before considering his next move.
