Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani & Takuma Inoue vs. Kazuto Ioka + Jin Sasaki vs. Sora Tanaka RBR.

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by CST80, May 1, 2026.


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  1. Rollin

    Rollin Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Yokozuna Hoshoryu, nephew of the (in)famous Asashoryu, and two Ozekis Kirishima and Aonishiki both attended the super fight. Hoshoryu claimed it was his first boxing match, but became an instant fan.
     
    Rollin, May 3, 2026
    Rollin, May 3, 2026
    #796
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  2. Chuck Norris

    Chuck Norris Obsessed with Boxing

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    Chuck Norris, May 3, 2026
    Chuck Norris, May 3, 2026
    #797
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  3. Flo_Raiden

    Flo_Raiden Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Even though the fight didn’t turn out to be a total war that most would have wanted the fight is definitely not devoid of any entertainment and drama. Started out as more of a tense slow burn that was very tactical with high level boxing from both guys. Inoue just doing more work in the beginning and showing once again why he’s such a gifted fighter. People who appreciate pure boxing would still find something to appreciate out of the first half of the fight where it’s a battle of feints, positioning, countering, and accuracy. Second half finally turned into the fight that people were wanting to see where Nakatani not only started finding more confidence in himself but landing more and winning some rounds while Inoue was getting his second wind. Nakatani showed that he was a worthy opponent for Inoue and made him work hard for the win.

    This fight did indeed lived up to the hype, just needed more time to build up to finally deliver. A very good fight that was fought at a high level.
     
    Flo_Raiden, May 3, 2026
    Flo_Raiden, May 3, 2026
    #798
  4. Ted Spoon

    Ted Spoon Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Not as explosive as we'd hoped, sure, but those who were pushing the 'It's a mini Leonard-Hearns 1' idea were setting the stage for disappointment. Now that the hype is over we can appreciate what was a tactical, then gusty fight. I believe Nakatani, with his gauge of range and counters, drained Inoue's battery. Each time Inoue had a big gap to overcome, then quickly get outta there. Rise n' repeat. No clinching. No resetting. Hard damn work.

    That was a thudding uppercut in the 11th. You could see Nakatani back up straight after. Here's hoping he heals up okay.
     
    Ted Spoon, May 3, 2026
    Ted Spoon, May 3, 2026
    #799
  5. Flo_Raiden

    Flo_Raiden Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    That uppercut really helped Inoue get right back into the fight when it looked like Nakatani was gonna take over. I believe that was the same kind of damage that Inoue had to overcome in the first Donaire fight.
     
    Flo_Raiden, May 3, 2026
    Flo_Raiden, May 3, 2026
    #800
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  6. thehook13

    thehook13 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    The flow of the fight changed. After round 10 I felt a draw was possible, maybe more. Then Inoue gained the advantage back.

    Would be mad if these two don't fight again, it was a high level skills match up and felt like a big event. When Nakatani was finally started to get to Inoue the fight heated up. If they picked up where they left off it would be a war.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2026
    thehook13, May 3, 2026
    thehook13, May 3, 2026
    #801
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  7. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    I think it was a high level entertaining fight but it was a tactical chess match for the first 7 rounds. I'm not going to say it was like watching American Level slicksters stinking out the joint or even remotely close to being that dull and boring but it did feel anticlimactic given the magnitude of the event, the level of anticipation and excitement, and the hype. Thankfully it really started to pick up from round 8 onward and overall it was an excellent fight

    But the fight of the night, as you would expect, was the British domestic dust up (which are the gold standard and the envy of the boxing world) between Brit Level ultimate warriors Conah Walker and Sam Eggington





    Naoya Inoue Post-Fight Interview Transcript

    Q: Now that you’ve had a chance to re-watch your own fight, what are your honest impressions of how it unfolded?

    Inoue: I’ve re-watched it, yes. To be honest, seeing a two-point difference on the scorecards felt quite strict (harsh). There is a gap between how I felt while fighting and how it looked when I watched it back. Moving forward, I think I need to pay more attention to that discrepancy. My corner and I were tracking the points during the match and our sense of the lead was mostly accurate, but some judges had it much closer. I’d actually like to know what those specific judges were looking at and what they prioritized as "effective" or "superior" when they were scoring. Raul Caiz Sr. is a shithouse. 115-113?! WTF was he watching?! It’s something I need to review—both the technique and how we align our mid-fight scoring with the official judges to ensure we aren't drifting apart.

    Q: In the 11th round, your right uppercut clearly damaged Nakatani’s left eye, and his guard went very high. You obviously noticed that in the moment. Did you use that to press the attack, or did you consciously decide to hold back?

    Inoue: There was... a bit of that, yes. Deep down, the feeling that I wanted to completely "beat him down" (crush him) wasn't at 100%. It was the first time I’ve experienced such a complex emotion during a fight. Nakatani’s recovery was also very skillful, but in a perfect scenario, I should have been able to finish him right there.

    Q: Was that "softness" or hesitation on your part?

    Inoue: I wouldn't call it "softness" (naivety). It wasn't that. Just a complex feeling.

    Q: With about one minute left in the 12th round, you were seen looking up at the arena monitor. Were you checking the time to see if you had enough left to go for the knockout?

    Inoue: Yes, I looked. There wasn't a deep "intent" behind it; I just wanted to confirm exactly how many seconds were left. At that point, it’s about balancing the instructions from my corner with my own feelings. If the camp tells me, "You're fine as you are," then staying the course is the right thing to do. If the advice was "Go, go!", I would have gone for it. I was just checking the clock to decide what to do with that final minute based on their cues.'
     
    Serge, May 4, 2026
    Serge, May 4, 2026
    #802
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  8. CST80

    CST80 The Hesitant Nihilist Staff Member

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    :risas3:
     
    CST80, May 4, 2026
    CST80, May 4, 2026
    #803
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  9. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    :lol:
     
    Serge, May 4, 2026
    Serge, May 4, 2026
    #804
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  10. Flo_Raiden

    Flo_Raiden Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Now that's something I would never expect Inoue to ever say. That's priceless. :lol:
     
    Flo_Raiden, May 4, 2026
    Flo_Raiden, May 4, 2026
    #805
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  11. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    :lol: I want someone to try and get him to say it on camera it would be hilarious
     
    Serge, May 4, 2026
    Serge, May 4, 2026
    #806
  12. Flo_Raiden

    Flo_Raiden Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    SMFH. There's no pleasing with Inoue's haters and it seems they'll find anything they can to trash him. The fact he was calling the fight a farce, horrible and disgusting shows exactly this guy is. He most likely didn't even see the fight at all. The guy responding to the video made a good point. These haters are not true boxing fans, just loyalists.

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    Last edited: May 4, 2026
    Flo_Raiden, May 4, 2026
    Flo_Raiden, May 4, 2026
    #807
  13. Flo_Raiden

    Flo_Raiden Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    This content is protected

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    Flo_Raiden, May 4, 2026
    Flo_Raiden, May 4, 2026
    #808
  14. Chuck Norris

    Chuck Norris Obsessed with Boxing

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    Chuck Norris, May 4, 2026
    Chuck Norris, May 4, 2026
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  15. thehook13

    thehook13 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Just rewatching some of the slow motion highlights. Such an incredibly skilled fight we watched.

    Two masters going at it.
     
    thehook13, May 5, 2026
    thehook13, May 5, 2026
    #810
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