Boxing: Naoya Inoue Ready for Title Showdown with Junto Nakatani

このページを日本語で読む

On Saturday, May 2, Tokyo Dome will host one of the most anticipated nights in boxing history: an undisputed super bantamweight title fight between Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani.

Inoue holds all four major belts (WBA, IBF, WBC and WBO). Nakatani is ranked No 1 by the WBA, WBC and WBO. Both men enter the fight with identical perfect records (32–0).

The undisputed champion has recorded 27 knockouts, while the challenger has 24 KOs in his pro career.

All 55,000 tickets sold out a month in advance, underscoring the overwhelming fan interest in the blockbuster bout.

Fight Preparations for Inoue

On April 20, Inoue opened his training session to the media at Ohashi Boxing Gym in Yokohama. He began with his basic routine — lateral footwork and shadowboxing with the left jab — before stepping up the intensity with sharp straight punches, left hooks and uppercuts, working through his combinations.

Toward the end of the shadowboxing session, he broke into the explosive, quick-burst footwork that caught everyone's attention in his September 2025 fight against Murodjon Akhmadaliev in Nagoya, suggesting his preparation is on track.

Trainer Yasuhiro Suzuki then held the mitts, playing the role of a hypothetical Nakatani. Inoue, 33, unleashed powerful combinations throughout the session, capping it off with three consecutive left hooks. He finished on the heavy bag, and afterward told MT Gym chairman Takeshi Murano, who had been watching from the side, "I did everything without holding anything back."

Murano later commented that he would tell Nakatani: "He moved well and looks properly conditioned, [and] he seems to be in good shape. I could sense he has carefully structured his training."

Inoue spoke with a satisfied smile: "It felt like a long year, yet somehow a short one, too. We both got through our fights safely and made it here. I'm really excited for this."

The "one year" he referred to traces back to the 2024 Japan Boxing Commission's awards ceremony on March 31, 2025, when Inoue called out to Nakatani from the stage: "Let's energize Japanese boxing at the Tokyo Dome, one year from now."

Nakatani, 28, simply replied, "Let's do it."

The Path to Their May 2 Showdown

On December 27, 2025, at "Night of the Samurai" as part of Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia, both fighters delivered on that promise. Inoue earned a hard-fought win over the previously undefeated Alan Picasso in a grueling bout. Earlier that night, Nakatani also came through with a 12-round unanimous decision, beating Mexico's Sebastian Hernandez.

With those tests passed and both records intact, an all-unbeaten Japanese matchup is now set to take place.

Ohashi Gym chairman Hideyuki Ohashi expressed enthusiasm about the blockbuster bout.

"Tickets are sold out and the attention has been enormous,” Ohashi commented. "We've sparred with five Mexican and American fighters, and after shaking off last year's fatigue and going through four bouts, everything has come together perfectly. May 2 is going to be a truly incredible fight."

Boxing Strategy Versus Nakatani

Naoya Inoue's trainer and father, Shingo Inoue, offered a glimpse of the game plan: "It ultimately depends on how Nakatani moves, but for us it comes down to Naoya's entry and exit, his speed and controlling space."

At that point, Naoya cut in, prompting his trainer to respond, "Did I say too much?" Which drew laughter from the assembled press.

Inoue spoke with calm confidence about his opponent: "Nakatani's style is already fully mapped out in my head, so it's easy to visualize."

He also referenced Nakatani's aggressive combination work against Ryosuke Nishida in June 2025, noting: "Until that fight, I hadn't pictured him as someone who would come forward that aggressively, but seeing it in person actually gave me a positive impression. I feel like I can adapt to whatever he brings."

Perhaps even if Nakatani comes in aggressively, Inoue believes he has the tools to handle it — the uppercuts on display in training being one example.

Inoue is Fired Up About the Fight

"I want people to look forward to May 2. [And] I will continue to prepare diligently so I can meet those expectations," Inoue said. "My boxing career is not ending here."

The "Monster" is already looking beyond this fight, and his confidence does not appear misplaced.

Whether it becomes a speed-based boxing display like against Murodjon Akhmadaliev in September 2025, or a brutal close-range battle on the inside, remains to be seen. The world is set to witness the unstoppable "Monster" continue his evolution in what promises to be a legendary night.

It is almost time for what could be the greatest night in Japanese boxing history.

The fight will be streamed live on NTT Docomo's Lemino pay-per-view service.