Naoya Inoue Is Simply One Of The Best In Boxing (Video)

Over 40,000 people packed the Tokyo Dome in Japan to witness one of the top pound-for-pound fighters do his thing against Nery with all of the titles at super bantamweight at stake. It was the first time a fight had been held at the Tokyo Dome since James ‘Buster’ Douglas defeated Mike Tyson. There was a lot of pressure on Inoue, and in the first round, he appeared to have lost concentration for a second due to it. In the middle of the round, while in close, Nery landed a short, hard left hook on Inoue’s chin, sending him down to the canvas for the first time in his career. Inoue seemed surprised and embarrassed at the same time, but more than anything, he was truly hurt, and it was something that no one had ever seen before. ‘The Monster’ Inoue held on to survive the round, but as he walked back to his corner, he knew it was time to lock in.

Inoue would come out in the second round pissed off and focused, which was the beginning of the end for Nery. Inoue would begin with the left jab and start to land a hard straight right hand, which Nery was eating, but you knew it would eventually wear him down. Inoue would then land a left hook of his own, sending Nery down for the first time in the fight. Nery would get up and remain elusive enough to survive the round. Inoue was suddenly away and in rhythm, which spelled bad news for Nery. In rounds three and four, Inoue started to use masterful footwork to pop-shot Nery from different angles, which pushed Nery to go for it all earlier than he would have liked to.

In the fifth, Inoue landed another left hook after Nery lunged in, which knocked him down again for the second time in the fight. Nery would survive the round, but Inoue would land vicious straight right hands and mix it with a hard left hook to the body. At this point, Nery already looked defeated, but he came out in the sixth round looking to land something big. Instead, Inoue landed a right uppercut, then a straight right hand that folded Inoue like a lawn chair while sending him through the ropes. The referee didn’t even begin the count as Nery looked completely out of it. Inoue stood on the ropes and received a loud roar from the crowd as he successfully defended his undisputed title.

What’s Next for Naoya Inoue and When Will He Fight Again?

Inoue is neck and neck with Terence Crawford for the number one spot, pound-for-pound in boxing. Everyone in attendance and on ESPN+ was eagerly anticipating what he planned to do next, and before Inoue spoke, the cameras shifted left to the undefeated Sam Goodman (18-0, 8 KOs), who was in the ring. Goodman would tell Inoue to face him next or relinquish his titles. Inoue would then say that his team will begin negotiations for the fight to take place in September. The venue will likely be somewhere in Japan, as Inoue proved once again that he is a mega star in Japan.