TOKYO – For a fight that carried the weight and expectation of a nation, Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani delivered.
Before 55,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday night, in what had been billed as the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history, the fight lived up to the hype. At the centre of it all, Inoue emerged once again as the junior featherweight division’s defining force, overcoming Nakatani in a fight that demanded everything of him to retain his undisputed crown.
The pivotal moment came in the championship rounds, when the fight hung in the balance and Inoue pulled away. The Japanese great shifted momentum in a contest that had been fought at a level worthy of the occasion.
For long stretches, this was exactly what it promised to be – two elite fighters, in their prime, trading control in a battle where neither gave an inch easily. Nakatani proved why he had been considered Inoue’s most dangerous challenger, finding success and forcing the champion to adjust in ways few opponents have managed. But on a night that was defined by the tiniest of margins, Inoue found another gear and pipped his compatriot by scores of 115-113 and 116-112, twice.
The referee Robert Hoyle wasn’t needed, such was the respect between the two, and that respect could be seen from the off.
They circled each other, like two lions awaiting the other’s move, and it was Inoue who was first to pounce. Inoue, 33, darted in with his quick feet and landed his left handed jab. Nakatani, 28, pawed his southpaw right into Inoue’s face, and narrowly missed with a looping left.
Nakatani picked things up in the second, keeping Inoue at bay with his right hand. Inoue was falling short, and Nakatani’s left hand was getting closer with every attempt. Then it was Inoue’s turn to adjust, as he cut off the ring with his quick feet, but failed to land anything of note. Inoue then started to pull away and although he was shorter than his 5’ 8” foe, he was starting to win the battle of the jabs. Inoue was rapid, darting in and landing his left hand, and had built himself a healthy lead heading into the sixth session. Nakatani then started to find his feet and unloaded on Inoue as he briefly lay on the ropes.
Nakatani was pulling it back, and in the eighth went for it.
The challenger took the center ring and pressed Inoue to the ropes where he landed a left, followed by a right, followed by another left. Inoue certainly felt it, but he smiled at his foe and waved Nakatani on.
It was boxing at its best. They were both making each other miss by millimeters, and just when they thought they had the other pinned, they somehow found a way out.
The pair smiled at each other, almost in awe of their opponent’s skills, then quickly got down to hammering away. Nakatani had his best round yet in the ninth, catching Inoue with four left hands early and cracked Inoue with a peach of an uppercut late.
Nakatani then followed his best round yet with his most telling punch, a right hook that shook Inoue to his boots. The 10th was going to plan Nakatani, but disaster struck late in the session when the pair clashed heads. A large gash on Nakatani’s right eyebrow appeared, and in Round 11, the southpaw was clearly struggling to see.
Inoue took full advantage and wobbled Nakatani with multiple right hands, to the side of Nakatani’s vision that was blurred with blood. Inoue had a confident look on his face as he bounced on his feet for the 12th and final session. Nakatani had a look of worry, and pressed to snatch one vital round for his own. Nakatani pawed away with his right, and fired in his left, but Inoue was too quick, and he danced away in the final session.
The pair embraced at the sound of the final bell. Two masters of their craft, and two fighters that had proved yet again why they are two of the finest in the sport today. Nakatani, 32-1 (24 KOs), may have been handed his first loss as a professional, but he took it well, and even in defeat his stock rose.
Inoue, now 33-0 (27 KOs), continues his search for a challenger capable of bettering him in the ring.
Beforehand, former WBO bantamweight titleholder Yoshiki Takei picked up an underwhelming win over DeKang Wang over eight rounds. Takei, now 12-1 (9 KOs), was fighting for the first time since his stoppage loss to Christian Medina in September, and at a new weight of 122lbs. Takei fought like a fighter wary of his chin, and never looked comfortable when tagged by Wang. Wang, 9-2 (4 KOs) and who had not fought for two years, was the aggressor and had Takei trapped in the corner and hurt on multiple occasions. In the end Takei was somewhat fortunate to walk away with a majority decision win via scores of 76-76 and 77-75, twice.
