The biggest Japanese boxing duel of our time has a date: Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani are to fight for the Undisputed Superbantam crown in Tokyo on May 2.
Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani has long been a dream duel – now the project is taking shape. The two unbeaten Japanese stars are set to meet in the Tokyo Dome on May 2.
“The Monster” Inoue, undisputed super bantamweight champion, is set to put his titles (The Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO) on the line in the fight. The Japanese P4P superstar has had a remarkably active year in 2025, winning four times – against Kim Ye-joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Alan Picasso.
Nakatani also has an unblemished record. The 28-year-old recently competed in the Superbantam for the first time in Riyadh and defeated Sebastian Hernandez on points – a decision that was considered controversial in parts of the scene. It is precisely this step into the new limit that makes the duel with Inoue realistic in the first place.
The rankings also point to an absolute top duel. Both are in The Ring ‘s Pound-for-Pound Top 10 (Inoue at No. 2, Nakatani at No. 7). So it’s not just about belts, but about status, legacy – and the question of who is Japan’s number one!
Text by Robin Josten