Naoya Inoue outpointed Junto Nakatani over 12 rounds on Saturday, May 2, winning a unanimous decision by scores of (116-112, 115-113, 116-112) at the Tokyo Dome, after fending off a late rally from his rival.
Inoue controlled the early fight with speed, timing, and body work, building a clear lead. Nakatani, bigger and younger, managed to rally—particularly in rounds 9 and 10—testing Inoue more than most opponents have.
However, a head clash opened a cut on Nakatani, halting momentum, and Inoue closed strong to seal it. That one foul changed everything.
In Japan, it was billed as The Fight of the Century, and arguably the biggest in that country’s history, with 55,000 fans filling the arena.
With victory, Inoue proved he can handle a dangerous, prime, undefeated rival, reinforcing his pound-for-pound standing.
Nakatani, despite defeat, still emerged as a legitimate elite and future force, even if he undergoes a temporary drop int he pound-for-pound rankings.
The fight served another purpose, too. It showed what can happen when you make the right fight at the right time with two fighters in their respective primes — you make money.
According to Yahoo Japan and other reports, Inoue vs Nakatani is cruising toward the 10 billion yen barrier, which is $63.4 million.
The greater attention paid to Inoue is something the fighter could take forward in future fights, especially as he’s linked with a bout against another fellow pound-for-pound fighter in Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.
