Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani set for May 2nd at Tokyo Dome
One of the most significant matchups on the calendar now has an official date and venue, as Jake Donovan reports that the undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue and former three-division champion Junto Nakatani “is aimed to be held on May 2 at the legendary Tokyo Dome.” This event will be Inoue’s (32-0, 27 KO) second fight at the Dome, following his stunning knockout victory over Luis Nery back in May 2024. This also signifies his longest break since that fight; “The Monster” had an active 2025, competing four times, achieving knockouts against Ye Joon Kim and Ramon Cardenas, and winning decisions over Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso. He later mentioned that the busy schedule was taking a toll on him, making it understandable that he’s taking some extra time to recover. Nakatani (32-0, 24 KO) will surely appreciate this break; he dominated undefeated fighters David Cuellar and Ryosuke Nishida in his initial bouts of 2025, and narrowly triumphed over the persistent Sebastian Hernandez in Riyadh. Despite battling significant swelling around his eye, he seems to have dodged major injury. This matchup represents not only a confrontation of elite pound-for-pound fighters but also a contest between top finishers whose fighting styles expose each other’s vulnerabilities. Unless something remarkable emerges in the interim, this bout is poised to be the must-see boxing event of 2026.
Published: 2026-01-08 00:44:00
source: www.badlefthook.com
