Boxing
Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani: Are there any areas where Nakatani is the better fighter
Inoue vs. Nakatani: Subscribe to watch - Saturday
The historic Japanese showdown is finally on deck, as undefeated Naoya Inoue puts his undisputed super bantamweight world championship on the line against fellow unbeaten countryman Junto Nakatani.
Arguably the most important fight in Japanese boxing history takes place Saturday night at the Tokyo Dome, and live on DAZN . It's a huge evening for boxing as the same May 2 date has David Benavidez challenging unified cruiserweight world champion GIlberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez, live on DAZN PPV and Ultimate Tier .
Inoue (32-0, 27 knockouts) is fresh off a unanimous decision over David Picasso in December, while Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) had his fair share of issues, but still managed a hard-fought points win over Sebastian Hernandez on that same card.
Will ‘The Monster’ remain unbeaten by proving his skills to be superior against Nakatani? Or will ‘Big Bang’ do what no man has been able to and defeat Inoue? DAZN News examines who has the edge in his highly-anticipated mega fight.
Boxing Styles
Styles make fights and this super bout is oozing with flair. Naoya Inoue changes levels with ease, often stabbing to the body before bringing his attentions upstairs where he is known to light opponents up with surgical, slicing bursts.
His style will be up against a taller Junto Nakatani who sits on his uppercuts with explosive action, wrapping the left hook around opponents’ guards to often follow.
Though we’ve seen Inoue taste the canvas before by leaving his chin too exposed, ‘The Monster’ can use his nimble footwork and quick hand speed to conceal that flaw. Those two strengths also give him the edge in this clashing of styles.
Edge: Inoue
Power
There is no doubt that Nakatani can hurt Inoue, especially if he is able to slow down the pace of this undisputed championship fight. ‘Big Bang’ has that kind of power, considering 24 of his 32 wins have come by stoppage, with those uppercuts digging through the guard only helping.
However, Inoue’s footwork, hand speed, precision and overall shot selection makes his power punching package all the more potent as a force Nakatani will have to deal with.
Inoue counts 27 of his 32 victories by knockout, demonstrating just how dangerous the aforementioned bundle makes his power.
Edge: Inoue
Mental Warfare
Nakatani has more of a mental hurdle to climb, considering some critics and fans thought Sebastian Hernandez might have nipped him on the scorecards in December. Not only does Nakatani have to rebound from that performance, but do so against arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer in the entire sport in Inoue.
It’s a rough task for anyone and the Tokyo Dome as the backdrop only heaps more pressure to perform on Nakatani.
Inoue gets the nod here too.
Edge: Inoue
Who has the edge in Inoue vs. Nakatani?
Nakatani checks all the boxes of being a star fighter. However, he is going up against a generational talent in Inoue. ‘The Monster’ gets the 3-0 edge from DAZN News heading into this fight, with Nakatani tasked to upend that projection. It’s a rough ask and we’ll find out how up to it Nakatani is Saturday night.
