TOKYO: Japan’s Naoya Inoue gave another boxing masterclass to beat countryman Junto Nakatani by unanimous decision and stay unbeaten in front of 55,000 fans at a sold-out Tokyo Dome on Saturday.

Inoue retained his undisputed super bantamweight titles and han­ded 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 to keep his crown as the undisputed king of Japanese boxing.

“I just wanted to show everyone that I could win this fight,” the 33-year-old Inoue said.

“Nakatani is a very strong-willed fighter, someone who’s always ranked among the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters, and that gives this win extra significance.”

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.

Nakatani used his longer reach to keep Inoue at bay in the early rounds, although the champion still managed to steal in and land some punches.

Inoue’s pinpoint accuracy and lightning reflexes saw him find the target more often, with Nakatani unable to respond in kind.

Nakatani began to find more success in the middle rounds but Inoue kept up his relentless attack and connected with a thundering straight shot in the seventh round.

Nakatani gained some momentum until an accidental headbutt left him needing attention for a cut above the eye.

Inoue rocked the challenger with an uppercut in the 11th round to close in on victory.

“I had four fights last year and then here at the Tokyo Dome tonight and that has taken its toll, so please let me rest for a while now,” Inoue said. “After that, I’ll come back and speak to my team and organise another fight that everyone can get excited about.”

Nicknamed “Big Bang”, Nakatani was fighting only his second bout at super bantamweight after making his debut in the division in late December.

He has held world titles in three different weight classes and was looking to catapult himself into boxing’s top echelons with a win over Inoue. His record dropped to 32-1, with 24 KOs.

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.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2026