Naoya Inoue defeats Junto Nakatani, staying undisputed as talks grow for a blockbuster clash with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.
On May 2, inside Tokyo’s iconic Tokyo Dome, Naoya Inoue once again demonstrated why he sits atop the super bantamweight division, defeating Junto Nakatani by unanimous decision to retain his undisputed championship.
The bout began cautiously, with both fighters probing for openings in a measured first few rounds. Inoue (33-0, 27 KOs) distinguished himself early through activity and ring control, a factor that ultimately proved decisive. As the fight progressed into the middle rounds, Nakatani (32-1, 24 KOs) increased his output and began landing heavier shots, briefly shifting momentum and making the contest far more competitive than anticipated.
However, a clash of heads in the tenth round disrupted Nakatani’s late surge. Inoue capitalized down the stretch, winning key exchanges in the championship rounds to secure the victory. The judges’ scorecards—116-112 twice and 115-113—all favored Inoue, reaffirming his dominance in the division.
In the immediate aftermath, attention quickly turned to what could be next for “The Monster.” According to reports from Mike Coppinger, Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh is targeting a blockbuster clash between Inoue and rising star Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez. The proposed fight would take place in Japan in January, with a special edition Ring Magazine belt on the line.
Before such a matchup can materialize, Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs) must first overcome Antonio Vargas for the WBA bantamweight title. A victory would set the stage for him to move up and challenge Inoue in what is already being billed as a potential super fight.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has been outspoken about the matchup—and firmly believes Rodriguez has the edge. Speaking to Boxing News, Hearn said:
“I watched Inoue up close in Saudi. And I’ve never been more convinced that Jesse Bam Rodriguez beats him. Honestly, for a long period of time, I thought it might be a step too far for Jesse, but now Jesse’s up at bantamweight and feels big and strong there. I just think he’s too good for him. He’s 26 years old, and what’s Inoue now? 33 now? I don’t see Bam losing to Inoue.”
Hearn also pointed to Inoue’s competitive outing against Nakatani as further evidence:
“And I thought Inoue would go through Nakatani, and do a right job on him, and by all accounts, it was a very competitive fight. He’s (Inoue) an amazing fighter, and he’s a superstar. I know Bam beats him, because Bam’s got it in here (taps side of head) and Bam don’t give a f**k. But Bam will go to Japan tomorrow. He wants to go to Japan, and there’s absolutely no doubt in Bam’s head that he beats Naoya Inoue.
“He’s got a fight against Vargas, who’s a very good fighter. It’s not going to be easy, but come through that, let’s just make it happen.”
With momentum building, the boxing world may be on the verge of one of its most compelling matchups.