“The Day” is upon us.
In the best fight the sport has to offer, two of Japan’s modern greats collide in Tokyo for the undisputed super-bantamweight crown.
Naoya Inoue will put his belts on the line against “Big Bang” Junto Nakatani in a defining all-Japanese showdown, one that will not only crown the nation’s true king, but could also reshape the pound-for-pound landscape as we know it.
The two have been on an inevitable collision course since early in their careers, each ruthlessly clearing the path to reach this moment, arriving with identical, unbeaten records at 32-0. Inoue has 27 knockouts under his belt, with his compatriot just behind with 24.
Both men have firmly established themselves in the pound-for-pound rankings and enter this contest at the absolute peak of their powers. Inoue, now 33, brings experience and proven dominance, while the 28-year-old Nakatani arrives in his physical prime, surging with momentum. They do so under the bright lights of a sold-out Tokyo Dome, with 55,000 fans set to bear witness to a generational collision.
This super fight finally came into fruition when both cleared their final hurdles at The Ring V: Night of the Samurai card last December, whereby “The Monster” dominated Alan Picasso to defend his titles, while Nakatani was forced to dig deep against the tough Sebastian Hernandez to secure his date with destiny.
“Big Bang” has long been viewed as the heir apparent to the throne, and now stands on the brink with the opportunity of a lifetime, tasked with toppling one of boxing’s most fearsome forces. For the three-weight world champion, it has been a punishing training camp in the Land of the Rising Sun, but he arrives primed and hardened, looking to reap the rewards on fight night.
“I’ve had an image of what I want to do all along, tomorrow I just have to go out and express that,” Nakatani told reporters following the weigh-in.
Meanwhile, Inoue, stoic and composed outside of the ring but living up to his mantra as “The Monster” when inside it, has been relishing the clash on such a big stage. “I will elevate every aspect of my game and become the best version of myself yet. I am going to show the difference in our class,” he declared at the opening press conference.
In what has been a respectful build-up as expected, neither man has given an inch, setting the stage for a potential all-time classic – an ultimate clash of orthodox vs southpaw.
Nakatani is a powerful left-handed fighter and will look to control range with his long-distance boxing and spear his dangerous left hand, building on the momentum with his second outing at super-bantamweight as he continues to settle into the division.
He’ll also be looking to improve on the success Luis Nery had when he dropped Inoue at the same venue two years prior, a reminder that “The Monster” is far from invincible, though on that night, Inoue would rally to stop the Mexican inside six rounds.
Over recent fights, Naoya Inoue has shown a more measured, boxer-puncher approach, and is expected to do so again, biding his time, closing distance carefully, and waiting to detonate his right hand as the openings appear.
The stage is set for a perfect storm in the Japanese capital, two of the best in their country locking horns for pound-for-pound supremacy. Will Nakatani finally take the throne he was destined for, or will Inoue conquer his biggest challenge yet? One thing is for sure – “The Day” will be remembered for years to come.
Undercard
- Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Reiya Abe – Featherweight
- Sora Tanaka vs. Jin Sasaki – Welterweight
- Kosuke Tomioka vs. Shogo Tanaka – Flyweight
- Deok No Yun vs. Yuito Moriwaki – Super-middleweight
- Yoshiki Takei vs. Dekang Wang – Super-bantamweight
Viewing information
The fight will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
Start times
- UK: 8:00am (BST)
- US: 3:00am (ET) / 12:00am (PT)
- Japan: 4:00pm (JST)
Estimated ring walk times
- UK: 1:00pm (BST)
- US: 8:00am(ET) / 5:00am (PT)
- Japan: 9:00pm (JST)
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Header Image: AFP-JIJI
Body Images: Yuichi Yamazaki / AFP, Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing