Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani result: Champion holds firm in entertaining Tokyo title defence

Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani met in a long-awaited clash at the Tokyo Dome, one of the biggest events on the boxing calendar.

This past Saturday, Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani faced off in an undisputed super-bantamweight title fight inside the Tokyo Dome. It was a contest that had been brewing for months, following their performances on the same card in Saudi Arabia last December.

Both fighters entered with undefeated records of 32-0. The anticipation had been building since they shared the stage in Saudi Arabia back in December, setting up what many saw as an inevitable meeting.

This bout also marked ‘Big Bang’ Nakatani’s debut at super-bantamweight, having already held titles at flyweight and bantamweight earlier in his career.

Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani: Result, scorecards, and highlights

Both fighters were cautious in the early going, with neither looking to take unnecessary risks. Inoue finished the round well, though, picking up momentum with a few well-placed body shots.

Nakatani found a bit more success in the second round, connecting with several solid left hands to the body. However, neither man managed to create much separation on the scorecards during this stretch.

The fight took a turn in the fourth when Inoue landed his best shot so far – a stiff jab to the body followed by a clean right hand over the top that caught Nakatani flush.

Nakatani gained confidence as the fight wore on, becoming more aggressive and finding more openings for his left hand. He pressed forward in round seven and started landing combinations that put Inoue under pressure.

The action continued to pick up in round eight, where Nakatani’s positive moments continued as he backed up Inoue and started dictating exchanges. By round nine, he appeared to be gaining control of momentum, much to the surprise of many fans inside Tokyo Dome who began to sense an upset brewing.