Undefeated Naoya Inoue overcomes early knockdown to retain titles

Undefeated Naoya Inoue overcomes early knockdown to retain titlesUndefeated Naoya Inoue overcomes early knockdown to retain titles
via Top Rank Boxing
Japan’s Naoya Inoue (27-0) overcame a first-round knockdown to stop Luis Nery (35-2) in the sixth round in a thrilling fight at the Tokyo Dome on May 6.
Key points:
  • Inoue suffered his first-ever knockdown but bounced back with knockdowns of his own in rounds 2, 5 and the decisive 6th.
  • The victory extends Inoue’s undefeated record and KO streak to 24 wins.
  • With the win, Inoue retains his WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF super bantamweight titles, while Nery falls to his second career defeat.

About Inoue:
  • Nicknamed “The Monster,” the 31-year-old boxer is known for his exceptional punching power.
  • He has won world titles in four weight classes (light flyweight, junior bantamweight, bantamweight and super bantamweight).
  • Earlier this year, he became the first Japanese boxer to receive both the Sugar Ray Robinson Award and The Ring magazine’s “Fighter of the Year” title.
The details:
  • The match was Inoue’s first fight since becoming the undisputed champion in Dec. 2023.
  • Nery stunned the sold-out Tokyo Dome crowd with a left hook in the first round, sending Inoue to the canvas for the first time in his career.
  • Inoue responded in kind, knocking Nery down in the second round and again in the fifth with a left hook.
  • A right hook in the sixth round finished the fight, securing a dramatic victory for Inoue.
  • Inoue addressed his unexpected early knockdown in the post-fight interview.

“The moment I knocked him out was great, but how did you like the first-round surprise? After that, I stayed calm and managed to get back into the fight. My daily training to prepare for any scenario paid off. I believe tonight’s fight met the expectations of fans. I’ll try to do that in the coming bouts.”

  • The fight marked the first boxing event at the Tokyo Dome since James “Buster” Douglas’ upset win over Mike Tyson in 1990.
Tangent:
  • Inoue’s younger brother, Takuma, also successfully defended his WBA bantamweight title on the undercard.
What’s next:
  • While there are no details of any upcoming fights, Inoue is expected to seek another unification fight to solidify his legacy.
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