At the Tokyo Dome, after a very tactical start, Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani ignited the action and delivered a great battle for the fans. The biggest all-Japanese showdown of all time went the distance, with “The Monster” prevailing by unanimous decision. Inoue retained his WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO super bantamweight world titles and maintained his elite position in the pound-for-pound rankings, but his opponent pushed him hard. The official scorecards all favored the champion: 116-112, 115-113, 116-112.
In our pre-fight analysis, we predicted a slow start, noting that neither fighter had an incentive to adopt an overly aggressive approach—and that proved correct. In the first three rounds, the notable punches could be counted on one hand: the tension was palpable, but the heated exchanges expected by fans were slow to materialize.
Nakatani, understandably, stayed compact behind his southpaw guard, waiting for the Monster’s moves and ready to counter. Inoue, however, did not fall into the trap: he took center ring and applied pressure cautiously, committing only when he felt properly positioned.
The pace increased slightly in the fourth round, but the anticipated fireworks were still missing. Even so, despite the overall balance, it became clear that Inoue was edging ahead on the scorecards, as his calculated pressure was more effective than Nakatani’s cautious and somewhat passive approach in the opening third of the fight.
The challenger began to open up from the fifth round onward, marked by a higher tempo and shifting momentum. However, the Monster halted his progress in the latter half of the sixth round, making him feel the weight of his punches.
The unified world champion relied mostly on single shots in this fight, perhaps wary of counterattacks, but that did not prevent him from showcasing his well-known power. Even his jab was often enough to visibly snap Nakatani’s head back and keep him on alert.
“Big Bang” realized he needed to change the course of the fight to avoid regrets, and in both the eighth and ninth rounds he produced strong finishes in the final minute—the part that usually leaves the strongest impression on judges.
The challenger’s best moment culminated in a high-level tenth round: Nakatani let his hands go, emptying his offensive arsenal and clearly taking the round. The only downside for him was a nasty cut near his left eye, caused by an accidental clash of heads.
Just when he seemed to be in trouble, Naoya Inoue showed his elite class, halting his opponent’s comeback at its peak. In the eleventh round, the Monster hurt Nakatani with a spectacular uppercut and from that moment on pressed him relentlessly, driving him around the ring until the bell.
In the final three minutes, both fighters appeared very tired. Nakatani’s face showed the damage, and he needed to recover after the punishment of the previous round, while Inoue even glanced at the clock at one point to check how much time remained. There were no further twists, and the decision went to the judges.
The scorecards read by Michael Buffer were fair and reasonable. A margin of two to four points accurately reflected what happened in the ring.
Nakatani may regret conceding too many rounds early on, but a more aggressive start might have had disastrous consequences given his opponent’s offensive arsenal. His performance was still of a very high level, fully justifying The Ring’s decision to rank him sixth in their pound-for-pound list.
As for Inoue, the impression seen in recent fights—that he may have lost a bit from his absolute prime—was present again. While he still possesses extraordinary resources, the Monster now fights at a slightly slower pace, throws fewer combinations, and is sometimes forced to give ground. That said, he was facing an outstanding opponent, probably the best of his career.
So what does the Japanese superstar still have left to prove before hanging up the gloves? In truth, not much. Inoue could retire today and still be regarded as one of the greatest fighters of all time. Since that is not his intention, two paths seem especially appealing from a fan’s perspective.
The first is a move up to featherweight in search of further glory; the second is waiting for Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, who is climbing through the divisions and appears eager to challenge him. In either case, fans are guaranteed excitement.