As boxing continues to shoot itself in the foot, serving up big fights several years too late, two men in the lower weight classes are about to put a smile back on fans’ faces.
Super-bantamweight king Naoya Inoue puts all four world titles on the line against Junto Nakatani — not only his compatriot, but arguably the biggest threat to Inoue’s supremacy in many years.
Inside a sold-out 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome, Inoue and Nakatani collide in what is not only one of the biggest fights of the year, but arguably the biggest in Japanese boxing history. Both unbeaten in 32 fights, with 51 knockouts between them, ‘Monster’ Inoue and ‘Big Bang’ Nakatani bring the kind of occasion that captivates long before a punch is thrown.
When the first bell sounds on May 2, those inside the Tokyo Dome — and millions watching around the world — will be locked in on the kind of fight the sport desperately needs.
Who’s fighting on the undercard?
Like many world title cards in Japan, the promoters, Ohashi Promotions, have assembled an undercard packed with all-action bouts — the kind that won’t leave you glancing at your watch and wondering when it will end. The bout order is as follows, subject to change.
Main card (8 am BST / 3 am ET)
- Main event: Naoya Inoue (32-0) vs. Junto Nakatani (32-0); undisputed super-bantamweight title
- Co-main: Takuma Inoue (21-2) vs. Kazuto Ioka (32-4-1); WBC bantamweight title
- Toshiki Shimomachi (22-1-3) vs. Reiya Abe (28-4-2); featherweight
- Sora Tanaka (5-0) vs. Jin Sasaki (20-2-1); welterweight
- Kosuke Tomioka (11-4-0) vs. Shogo Tanaka (5-0); flyweight
- Deok No Yun (10-2-1) vs. Yuito Moriwaki (1-0-1); super-middleweight
- Yoshiki Takei (11-1-0) vs. DeKang Wang (9-1-0); super-bantamweight
Who’s worth watching?
Naoya’s younger brother, Takuma, may not possess the fire and fury of the ‘Monster’, but the 30-year-old has nonetheless carved out a fine career for himself. The two-time bantamweight champion defends his WBC belt against veteran four-weight champion Kazuto Ioka, who makes his debut at 118lbs. Takuma has a knack for finding a way to win; Ioka, once a special fighter, remains a Japanese stalwart. Expect this to go long, with Inoue having his hands full — but can Ioka outlast the champion?
Outstanding amateur talents, and brothers, Sora Tanaka and Shogo Tanaka each have their sixth outing, facing Jin Sasaki and Kosuke Tomioka, respectively. Shogo could be dragged into a firefight with Tomioka, while Sora steps up in class against a former world champion.
Toshiki Shimomachi hasn’t tasted defeat since 2016, but his opposition may have flattered him. He’ll have his hands full against the all-action former world title challenger Reiya Abe — another bout that could catch fire early.
So, don’t miss these fights.
- Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani
- Takuma Inoue vs. Kazuto Ioka
- Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Reiya Abe
- Sora Tanaka vs. Jin Sasaki
- Kosuke Tomioka vs. Shogo Tanaka
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