Naoya Inoue Beats Junto Nakatani to Retain Undisputed Crown

Naoya Inoue remains the undisputed super-bantamweight champion. Junto Nakatani, however, made him work harder for the win than most others have managed. At the Tokyo Dome, where a sell-out crowd of around 55,000 looked on, Inoue retained the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles by unanimous decision. The judges scored it 116-112, 116-112, and 115-113. Because the fight was close enough to keep the arena tense until the final bell, but not close enough to call the verdict into serious question, Inoue’s victory felt both earned and secure.

This was not the usual Inoue destruction job. Nakatani came in unbeaten, taller, rangier and dangerous enough to make even a fighter of Inoue’s standing treat the opening rounds with care. The first few sessions were cagey rather than thrilling, with both men probing for distance. Inoue, using his sharp footwork, stepped in and out to land his jab and made Nakatani reset repeatedly, preventing Nakatani from capitalising on his reach advantage in the early rounds.

Nakatani did not freeze, but he gave away too much early ground by letting Inoue control the action. Against an ordinary champion, that might be recoverable, but against Inoue, it is a costly habit. In rounds five and six, when Nakatani tried to push forward more aggressively, Inoue responded with clean counterpunches and strong defence, stopping any momentum shift with precise combinations.

The fight became more compelling from the seventh onwards. Nakatani finally began to press with greater belief, forcing exchanges and making Inoue fight at a pace he had not entirely dictated. In the ninth, the challenger produced his best work, finding Inoue with an uppercut and a left hand, and for a brief spell, the champion was being asked questions rather than setting the examination paper himself. It was the sort of passage that separates a genuine contest from a coronation.

The tenth round brought blood and drama. An accidental clash of heads left Nakatani with a cut over the right eye. Despite the cut, Nakatani fought with even more urgency, pushing the pace. Inoue responded like a champion, planted his feet, and landed a heavy right hand and a sharp uppercut, clearly reasserting control and showing experience in high-pressure moments.

The closing rounds were fought with both men still willing to trade, but Inoue had the cleaner work, the better balance, and the clearer command of the championship distance. Nakatani’s rally made the contest memorable, yet Inoue’s early lead and late composure made the result logical. It was not a rout. It was not a robbery. It was a champion in finding the answers under pressure.

For Nakatani, this first professional defeat need not be seen as a collapse. He proved he belonged among the elite. Once committed, he gave Inoue more trouble than many had anticipated. His mistake lay in waiting too long before forcing the issue. At this level, respect can easily resemble hesitation.

For Inoue, now at 33-0, this bout marks another significant entry in an extraordinary career. Not every minute saw him appear untouchable, but that is often the measure of greatness. He was made uncomfortable. He had to think. He had to fight. And yet, he still emerged victorious.