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Naoya Inoue tested to his limits before defeating Junto Nakatani

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Naoya Inoue poses with world title belts at Tokyo Dome before facing Junto Nakatani

Naoya Inoue defeated Junto Nakatani by unanimous decision to retain his super bantamweight world titles in a high-profile fight at the Tokyo Dome, but not before more pressure had been placed on him in years.

Inoue went through a tactical and at times dramatic fight to hand Nakatani the first defeat of his career, retiring at the end of a fight that saw the momentum shift throughout twelve rounds.

The judges scored the fight 116-112 twice AND 115-113which reflects the level of competition in the competition before Inoue closed the show. WBN also scored 116-112, with Inoue doing enough to retain his undisputed crown and top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings.

The beginning of cat and mouse

The opening stages were cautious, almost cat and mouse, with Inoue taking more exact shots and Nakatani looking for range. Inoue’s hitting made the difference early in the match, picking its moments as Nakatani struggled to connect with anything significant beyond the occasional single effort.

In the third quarter, Inoue began to assert more control, landing a solid right hand as Nakatani changed positions and looked for opportunities. Nakatani’s best route remained on the left side, and he started to show flashes of it in the fourth period, but Inoue continued to do more in response.

Nakatani finally found his rhythm in the fifth and sixth periods, landing some of his trademark lefts and following up with two of his best punches in the sixth set after Inoue’s mighty start. For the first time, the fight seemed to be changing.

Nakatani comes in mighty

Inoue responded in the seventh set, hitting a mighty shot and making several large shots that stopped Nakatani’s momentum. In the eighth race, Nakatani accelerated again, knowing he was behind, but Inoue took over most of the work and continued to respond with cleaner shots.

The ninth and tenth saw some of the best action of the fight. Nakatani applied constant pressure, firing steady shots as the pace increased, and in the tenth over he had his biggest moment, hurting Inoue in what was becoming one of the best rounds of the year before an accidental clash of heads left Nakatani with a cut above his eye.

The incident occurred after sustained pressure from Nakatani, which caused the lively of the match to change in Inoue’s favor.

From there, Inoue took it back and never let go.

Ohashi Promotion

Inoue closes the show

Inoue responded emphatically in the eleventh throw, ending his strongest round of the fight. A huge jab and a massive uppercut hurt Nakatani, who was now dealing with both the uppercut and the incoming pressure.

With the fight back in control, Inoue finished the final round without taking unnecessary risks, even glancing at the clock when he was close to winning.

For a long time, it looked like a fight that would finally push Inoue over the edge – until he got it back.

The result keeps Inoue at the top of the division, but after Nakatani pushed him through twelve rounds, a rematch now seems inevitable.

WBN released the full Inoue vs. Nakatani fight results and scorecard as Inoue’s brother Takuma defended his WBC bantamweight title against senior Japanese legend Kazuto Ioka.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has been interviewing world champions, breaking down international titles exclusively and reporting from the ring. His work is distributed on major platforms including Apple News. Read the full biography.

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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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Boxing

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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