Naoya Inoue defeated Junto Nakatani to defend his undisputed super-bantamweight crown in one of the biggest fights in Japanese boxing history.
After 12 brutal rounds, ‘The Monster’ Inoue retained his WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts as he beat compatriot Nakatani with scores of 116-112,116-112 and 115-113, in front of a reported crowd of 55,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome.
Defeat ended the perfect 32-fight record of Nakatani as the three-division champion could not overcome the ferocious power and spiteful combinations from Inoue.
Naoya Inoue celebrated a unanimous decision victory
Speaking on DAZN, Inoue, a four-weight world champion, said: “I would like to show some appreciation for Junto Nakatani for fighting me tonight.
“A year ago at the world ceremony, I called out Junto to fight me one day and a year later it happened. I wanted to show you guys that I would be the winner, and I did everything to get the win.
“I think I need to rest for a little bit.”
Inoue appeared to edge the early rounds with his precise punches and smooth footwork, but Nakatani responded well in the fifth, unloading a flurry of thudding punches.
Junto Nakatani (right) suffered the first defeat of his professional career
Hurtful right hands from Inoue stalled Nakatani’s attempts to rally in the seventh, but the skilful southpaw briefly stunned Inoue with an uppercut in the ninth.
Nakatani suffered a cut over his right eye following a head clash in the following round, although the wound did not diminish his aggression.
Into the closing rounds, both fighters traded power shots at close quarters until the final bell, but Inoue had done enough to reassert his dominance at super-bantamweight.
