The biggest Japanese boxing match of the moment is official: Naoya Inoue will defend his Undisputed Superbantam crown against Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome on May 2. Both champions were very respectful at their first press appearance – but also highly focused.
Naoya Inoue was relieved that the long-awaited superfight against Junto Nakatani is now officially on paper. At the first joint press event for the duel on May 2 in the Tokyo Dome, the undisputed super bantamweight champion made it clear that he is by no means underestimating his compatriot. Inoue will be defending his The Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles against Nakatani, who is also unbeaten.
Nakatani’s last performance was at the center of the statements. His transition to the 122-pound limit did not go smoothly in December, when he struggled to a controversial points victory against Sebastian Hernandez. However, Inoue sees this as a danger rather than a weakness. He said that a difficult fight like this can make a boxer tougher and better – which is why he will be particularly attentive on fight night.
The best boxer in the world
Nakatani himself took the same line. He emphasized that he had taken a lot from his performance against Hernandez and wanted to show a much improved version of himself on May 2. For him, the fight is the next logical step on the way to the title in another weight class. His trainer Rudy Hernandez formulated it with respect, but clear objectives: anyone who wants to beat Inoue has to get into the ring in his best form, because for him Inoue is currently the best boxer in the world.
The card in Tokyo also features a prominent line-up. In the co-main event, Takuma Inoue will defend his WBC bantamweight title against Kazuto Ioka. In addition, Toshiki Shimomachi will face Reiya Abe in the featherweight division and Sora Tanaka will fight Jin Sasaki in the welterweight division.
Text by Robin Josten