Inoue Electrifies 55,000 in Tokyo, rallying to defeat Nery

Inoue delivered an electrifying performance in front of 55,000 spectators in Tokyo, mounting a significant comeback to secure a victory against Nery. This event showcased Inoue's resilience and skill, captivating the audience with a thrilling display of boxing prowess.

Japan's Naoya Inoue rebounded from a knockdown to defeat Luis Nery in six rounds, retaining his undisputed super-bantamweight title in Japan.

Experiencing his first career knockdown ignited a ferocious comeback from the undefeated Inoue, who dominated Nery before a crowd of 55,000 at Tokyo Dome.

The fighters traded knockdowns with left hooks in the initial rounds, but Inoue elevated his game, methodically dismantling Mexico's Nery with a devastating right hand, ending his title challenge.

Inoue delivered a spectacular performance, improving his record to 27-0, and affirming his status as arguably the world’s top boxer across all categories.

Inoue adeptly adorned his 5ft 5in figure with all four world title belts, engaging his fans with an inspiring post-fight speech.

Inoue reflected on his early knockdown, stating, "How did you like that big surprise in the first round? I was not pleased to be knocked down," but admitted it motivated him greatly and expressed gratitude for the bout against Nery.

Inoue's star power in Japan enabled him to headline the Tokyo Dome's first boxing event since the legendary upset of Mike Tyson by James 'Buster' Douglas in 1990.

Nicknamed 'The Monster', Inoue filled the iconic venue and reportedly earned £5.2m before throwing a single punch.

His rock star presence was highlighted by his entrance, with famed Japanese musician Tomoyasu Hotei introducing him to the ring.

Hotei performed his track 'Battle Without Honor or Humanity', renowned globally from Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films.

Inoue made his entrance with a grand fireworks display, reminiscent of heavyweights like Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium.

Despite a grandiose entrance around 21:00 local time, Inoue faced an early setback, getting knocked down by Nery's stunning left hook in the first round.

Nery, fighting southpaw, landed a clean hit, but Inoue quickly recovered to endure the round.

This marked the first time Inoue had been floored, having previously achieved 23 knockouts in 26 bouts.

In the subsequent round, Inoue retaliated, knocking down Nery with a swift counter left hook as he moved back.

Nery got up quickly, but the knockdown made him more cautious.

Inoue then found his rhythm, aggressively targeting Nery and evading the left hooks that had earlier troubled him.

The champion grew so confident he began showboating whenever Nery missed, entertaining the audience with a mix of body and head shots.

Inoue kept landing hits and knocked Nery down once more in the fifth round with a close-range left hook.

Nery stood up and survived the round, but Inoue closed in during the sixth round.

He cornered Nery against the ropes and nearly knocked him out of the ring with a final punch.

Inoue brothers share victories

Takuma Inoue, Naoya's younger brother, also successfully defended his WBA bantamweight title, defeating Sho Ishida on points.

Entering the fight with fewer bouts, Takuma faced an unexpected challenge from Ishida, who landed a sharp jab early on.

Takuma recovered from the early hit and quickly dominated, causing Ishida to bleed from the nose by the second round.

The judges unanimously awarded the fight to Takuma, scoring it 118-109, 118-109, and 116-111, as he improved to 20 wins with only one loss.

His next potential bout could be an all-Japanese unification fight, as Yoshiki Takei's victory over Jason Moloney in the co-main event in Tokyo signaled complete Japanese control of the bantamweight division.

Takei claimed the WBO bantamweight title, joining fellow Japanese champions Takuma Inoue, Junto Nakatani (WBC), and Ryosuke Nishida (IBF) as world titleholders.

Source: BBC‍