Star Metro - 'Relieved' Inoue outlasts Nakatani in Tokyo Dome superfight

The 33-year-old known as "Monster" put on another boxing masterclass to retain his undisputed super bantamweight world titles and hand Nakatani the first loss of his career.

The bout had been billed as one of the biggest in Japanese boxing history, bringing together two unbeaten fighters with identical 32-0 records at the famous venue.

It did not disappoint, with Inoue seeing off a spirited challenge from rangy southpaw Nakatani over 12 absorbing rounds.

Inoue admitted that he felt the pressure of the occasion, with Nakatani looking to dethrone him as the king of Japanese boxing.

"I'm 33 now and I was fighting against a Japanese fighter who's coming up in the pound-for-pound rankings, so I was determined not to lose," said Inoue.

"It was different to the fights I've had before, with the pressure. So I'm relieved that I won."

Inoue took his record to 33-0, with 27 knockouts, after successfully defending his world titles for the seventh time.

He was meeting a dangerous opponent eight centimetres (three inches) taller and five years younger.

The fight showcased the technical excellence of both boxers but in the end the judges scored 116-112, 115-113, 116-112 in Inoue's favour.

"I don't know if tonight was a legendary night or not but that's coming soon," said Inoue.

"Tonight isn't the end point of my boxing career and there's still time to create more legendary occasions."

Nakatani, who has held world titles in three different weight classes, was looking to catapult himself into the sport's top echelons with a win.

Nicknamed "Big Bang", the 28-year-old regularly features in The Ring magazine's top 10 pound-for-pound rankings, which rate the world's best boxers regardless of weight class.

He was fighting only his second bout at super bantamweight and he used his longer reach to hold Inoue at bay early in the fight.

- Accidental headbutt -

But he was powerless to prevent his opponent scoring with a series of pinpoint shots, before an accidental headbutt opened up a cut above his eye that troubled him late in the fight.

"I prepared for lots of different eventualities so I wasn't really surprised by the way he fought," said Nakatani, who saw his record drop to 32-1, with 24 KOs.

"But he fought like a champion and he's a great boxer."

The match was fought in an atmosphere of mutual respect, with both boxers exchanging smiles and fist bumps throughout.

Inoue tipped Nakatani to win a world title at super bantamweight in the future, calling him "a very strong-willed fighter".

"He's someone who is always ranked among the world's top pound-for-pound fighters and that gives this win extra significance," said Inoue.

Inoue was fighting at the Tokyo Dome for the second time, having beaten Mexico's Luis Nery there in May 2024.

The area around the stadium was thronged with fans hours before doors opened.

The atmosphere reached fever pitch when Inoue and Nakatani made their entrances for a landmark bout in Japanese boxing.

"The view I had from the ring was one that only I could savour, but it was thanks to the 55,000 people in the stadium that I was able to see it," Inoue said.

"I will be back at the Tokyo Dome so please let me savour this view again."

Inoue's younger brother Takuma beat Kazuto Ioka by unanimous decision on the undercard to retain his WBC bantamweight world title.

The 37-year-old Ioka was attempting to win a world title in a fifth different weight class.

S.Cloutier--SMC