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Naoya Inoue defeats Junto Nakatani to retain the titles

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Image: Naoya Inoue Outboxes Junto Nakatani, Retains Undisputed Titles

Naoya Inoue defended his titles and undefeated record with a 12-round unanimous decision over Junto Nakatani in front of a huge crowd at the Tokyo Dome. The scores were 116-112, 116-112 and 115-113. The fight turned out to be more technical and disciplined than the explosive war many expected from two fistfighting talents.

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Inoue (33-0, 27 KO) took the lead from the first bell. He used a stiff jab and immediate body work to disrupt Nakatani’s rhythm. Nakatani (32-1, 24 KO), fighting as a contender at this elite level, spent most of the early stages of the fight in a reactive state, trying to initiate an attack against the champion’s speed and accuracy.

For the first five frames, Inoue commanded the pace. He easily split Nakatani’s guard and varied his attack between the head and body. While Nakatani was able to handle left hands from time to time, he lacked the strength to take rounds away from the champion in the first half of the contest.

In the middle rounds, Nakatani found his balance. He achieved his greatest success in the sixth set, launching acute counterattacks that seemed to catch Inoue’s attention. By the eighth and ninth, Nakatani pressed forward with uppercuts, briefly forcing Inoue to retreat. It was a energetic change that made the fight look like it could turn into a grueling battle of attrition.

However, Inoue showed why he is a star who fights non-stop. He tightened his guard and focused back on his body to blunt Nakatani’s aggression. A clash of heads on the tenth kick resulted in a cut to Nakatani’s left eye, an injury that seemed to dampen the challenger’s momentum just as he was doing intriguing things.

The eleventh round was Inoue’s finish. He dictated the distance with his jab and landed ponderous uppercuts that sent Nakatani backing away. It was the most dominant round of the evening, effectively sealing the result before the final bell.

The two traded shots in the 12th, but Inoue remained composed. Inoue remained cautious in the championship rounds, not taking unnecessary risks.

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Categories – Boxing Results, Naoya Inoue

Last update: 2026/05/02 at 10:51

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Boxing

Terence Crawford gives novel verdict on Canelo’s comeback fight against Mbilla: ‘He wants to prove himself’

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Terence Crawford delivers new verdict on Canelo comeback fight against Mbilli: “He wants to prove himself”

Terence Crawford shared his truthful thoughts on Canelo Alvarez’s fight with Christian Mbilli and wanted to see his former opponent come to his senses after their clash.

The couple had a quarrel in September last year Crawford declares victory by unanimous decision and cementing his greatness as the undisputed three-division champion.

Despite moving up two weight classes, “Bud” seemed content with the size difference compared to Canelo, who was ultimately vacated from his four super middleweight world titles.

However, in his next fight, Alvarez will be looking to reclaim one of the belts against Mbilla, who was elevated from “interim” to full WBC champion following Crawford’s retirement.

The Frenchman defended his “interim” title thanks to Canelo-Crawford’s indigent card, following a 10-round draw with undefeated rival Lester Martinez.

Known for his thunderous style, Mbilli is a solid opponent for Alvarez, who will face the 31-year-old on September 12 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

Given his achievements, the 35-year-old could have easily retired after the loss to Crawford, which meant time for an illustrious professional career that began in 2005.

But Crawford said DAZN Boxing that he understands the Mexican’s desire to get at least one more victory before finally calling it quits.

“I think it will be a great fight. Mbilli is putting a lot of pressure on himself. Canelo – we’ll see what form he comes in.

“Canelo is an all-time great fighter and I can’t wait to see him return to form [from the Crawford defeat].

“Knowing Canelo, he doesn’t want to end his career with a defeat. So I see Canelo wants to come back and prove his worth.”

A victory over Mbilli will certainly open further doors for Alvarez, who may even look to unify the 168-pound division by once again facing the winner of the Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Al Begic fight on next Saturday’s Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven fight card.

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Boxing

Terence Crawford defeats Jai Opetaia in Egypt

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Image: Terence Crawford Overpowers Jai Opetaia In Egypt Clip

The video of him lifting Opetaia on the sand is pure gold for his image. Opetaia is a powerful cruiserweight, so seeing Crawford pick him up like a sack of potatoes shows that the ancient wrestling and incredible functional strength are still there. This gets people talking about how perilous he still is.

Crawford says he’s had enough, and maybe he really is. He has already dropped Jaron Ennis, which makes sense because he has nothing to prove against younger players. But while remaining close to Turki Alalshikh and these massive international events, he does not leave the door open. If a huge, ridiculously lucrative opportunity ever comes along that really interests him, it never really leaves the public eye. Just making sure that if he ever decides to accept the offer, the price remains astronomical.

This is the ultimate masterclass in staying relevant without risking anything. Crawford knows exactly how this industry works. If a retired fighter stays at home, the audience moves on to the next substantial thing within a few months, but when you fly to Egypt and find yourself in the middle of a massive season production in Riyad, you completely control the narrative.

Think about the calculations here. Crawford avoids juvenile, hungry challengers like Jaron Ennis who want to operate his legacy as a springboard, and yet he ensures he’s the most talked about guy on the sand, lifting an elite cruiserweight like Opetaia. It sends a noisy and clear signal to promoters and networks that Crawford remains a major physical force and box office attraction.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with heavyweights, Terence keeps his wrestling at the highest level. He sets himself up so that if he ever decides to lace up the gloves again, he won’t come back just for a standard payday loan.

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Rolly Romero sees only one winner in Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn fight: ‘His jaw dislocated’

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Rolly Romero sees only one winner in Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn: “Dislocate his jaw”

Rolando Romero has described half of a potential fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn as “free meat”, believing he is at risk of a dislocated jaw.

“Rolly” defeated Garcia by a vast margin in May 2025, when a second-round knockdown contributed to his convincing unanimous decision victory.

Previously, ‘King Ry’ received a one-year ban after testing positive for ostarine, a banned substance, following an April 2024 meeting with Devin Haney.

However, despite his majority victory also being declared a nocontest, Garcia was presented with a world opportunity in February.

This resulted in a unanimous victory for the 27-year-old, who defeated Mario Barrios in the first round and won the WBC belt.

Since then, “King Ry” has been heavily linked to defending his welterweight title against Benn, who scored a points victory over Regis Prograis last month.

Despite defeating the retired Prograis at 150 pounds and not fighting at 147 pounds since 2022, “The Destroyer” is a top contender for the WBC welterweight title.

According to A Professional boxing fans However, when interviewing WBA welterweight champion Romero, Benn should not be mentioned in the same conversation as Garcia.

“Do I believe that Ryan Garcia really wants to fight Conor Benn and dislocate his jaw because Conor Benn is the easiest [opponent] in boxing? Yes. Everyone would take free meat.

Benn has previously failed two doping tests, as has Garcia, but is still scheduled to face the WBC champion on September 12.

“King Ry” revealed the news on The Jimmy Fallon Show earlier this weektelling the talk show host that their match would take place in Las Vegas.

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