Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani super fight at Tokyo Dome
Ohasha and Teiken Promotions announced a massive super fight between Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani scheduled for May 2 at the Tokyo Dome. The event expects to draw 55,000 fans to witness the undefeated Inoue defend his undisputed super bantamweight titles.
Ohasha Promotions and Teiken Promotions announced a super fight between Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani for May 2 at the Tokyo Dome. This massive event will draw 55,000 fans to the venue. I view this announcement as a major moment for Japanese boxing history. Inoue, the undefeated 33-0 champion with 27 knockouts, intends to retain his undisputed super bantamweight titles. His opponent, Junto Nakatani, enters with a record of 32-1 and 24 knockouts. Nakatani previously captured titles across the flyweight, super flyweight, and bantamweight divisions. You probably already knew that Inoue’s dominance makes every one of his fights a high-stakes affair. The promoters include Hideyuki Ohashi and Akihiko Honda. The highest ringside seat at the Dome will cost 330,000 Japanese yen, or 2,130 USD. The decision to hold this at the Tokyo Dome is a massive undertaking because the venue has a capacity of 55,000 fans and the pay-per-view charge on Lemino costs 6,050 yen, or 39 USD.
A collision of two champions
Inoue currently occupies the second spot in The Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound rankings, trailing only Terence Crawford. He previously became the first Japanese boxer to secure undisputed status in the three- or four-belt era after his knockout of Paul Butler. Inoue plans to move to super bantamweight and does not intend to return to the bantamweight division. Nakatani enters this fight after a unanimous decision loss to Inoue in May, where the judges scored the bout 116-112, 115-113, and 116-112. During that fight, Inoue landed 140 of 474 total punches, including 56 jabs, while Nakatani hit 120 of 476 attempts, including 46 jabs. Nakutani also secured wins over Ryosuke Nishida in June 2025 and David Cuellar in February 2025. I think the mismatch in power remains a concern for Nakatani as he prepares for this rematch. Will Nakatani find a way to disrupt Inoue’s momentum this time? The betting odds place Inoue as a 1/4 favourite, while Nakatari sits at 3/1. I find the betting market’s lack of confidence in Nakatani quite telling. Inoue’s 165-cm frame will face the 173-cm Nakatani, who carries a 68.5-inch reach. During their previous meeting, Nakatani landed 74 power punches out of 218 attempts, while Inoue landed 84 power punches out of 247 attempts.
The massive Tokyo undercard
The undercard provides plenty of action for fight fans. Takuma Inoue, the WBA bantamweight champion with a 21-2 record, defends his belt against Kazuto Ioka, who has 17 knockouts. I think this fight between the brothers is just as compelling as the main event. Other notable matchups include Yoshiki Takei, who has 9 knockouts, against Dekang Wang, the WBA Asia super bantamweight champion. Sora Tanaka, the OPBF welterweight champion with 5 knockouts, defends his regional belt against Jin Sasaki, who has 18 knockouts. Deok-No Yun, the OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific super middleweight champion, will face Yuito Moriwaki in a grudge fight. This grudge match follows a previous encounter that ended in a technical draw when Yun suffered a bad gash from an accidental headbutt. Reiya Abe will clash with Toshiki Shimomachi, while Kosuke Tomioka defends his WBO Asia Pacific flyweight title against Shogo Tanaka. The card also includes bouts for Takuma Inoue, Yoshiki Takei, Sora Tanaka, and Deok-No Yun. Takuma Inoue has only stopped four of his 18 opponents.
