TOKYO DRIFT
hard-fought victory by unanimous decision: 116-112, 116-112, 115-113. I sent my ringside report to the Ring Magazine website within a minute of Inoue’s post-fight interview and could relax. The post-fight press conference was set up quickly, but Nakatani was already on his way to the hospital. I was the first reporter to ask Inoue a question and did so via translator Mizuka Koike. “What would you tell Junto Nakatani to focus on following the first loss of his career?” “He’s got a great heart and great technique,” said the winner. “I think he’ll be back at [junior featherweight] and will become champion.” Inoue had won The Day and regained his position as the No.1 pound-for- pound fighter in the world.
it to him, Junto became confident. Unfortunately, the headbutt and then the uppercut changed the way the fight was going.” Inoue vs. Nakatani featured sparks early and eventually ignited into an enthralling firefight. The pound-for-pound pairing was highly entertaining, it was close, the crowd loved it, and it was a financial bonanza (a live gate of $32 million is the fourth-largest ever for a boxing event worldwide). A rematch would therefore be an easy sell. And even though it likely won’t happen in the near future, one man is very eager to do a sequel. “I would promise you guys that we’ll get a different result,” Hernandez said without hesitation. “We’re going to make it a fight from Round 1. Even if the fight only lasts a round or two, it’s going to be an exciting fight. “I want to fuckin’ start Round 13. I would advise Junto to make it a fight, keep it exciting and make the people happy. We don’t need to study. We did 12 rounds with him. I’m not afraid of ‘The Monster’ anymore.” As the interview concluded, we were joined by classy WBO flyweight titleholder Anthony Olascuaga, whom Hernandez also trains. Olascuaga revealed that the hospital had just confirmed Nakatani had a broken left orbital bone, the result of the right uppercut he took in Round 11. THE LAB Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan. It’s got a far different look from Tokyo, retaining some historical architecture, and it’s also more laid-back and scenic than the loud and bustling metropolis that is the capital. One hour’s commute by train from the Tokyo Dome Hotel, including one transfer, Yokohama is also home to the Ohashi Gym, which is where Inoue prepares for combat. The day after the fight, Team Inoue – Naoya; his younger brother Takuma (who scored an excellent victory over Kazuto Ioka
on the undercard); their father, Shingo, the 2025 Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year; and, of course, promoter Hideyuki Ohashi – greeted the assembled media at this location. Daisuke had arranged to interview Shingo for a feature that is also included in this magazine, so we arrived at the gym early. After I’d greeted and congratulated Shingo, Daisuke went to work while I looked around the gym. It was cool to be in the very place where the best fighter in the world sharpens his tools, but there was nothing new. It’s a place of work with everything you’d expect: a boxing ring, gloves, headgear, punch bags of various sizes, a weights rack and an assortment of memorabilia from some of the glory nights. When I looked out of the window from the fourth floor, where the gym was located, I noticed a group of fans assembling outside. It’s traditional for the Ohashi Gym to run these next-day press conferences, so hardcore fans are aware of the scheduling. They gave me a wave, so I waved back, then the gym was overrun by local media members, dozens upon dozens of them. “I’m relieved for now,” said Naoya via translator following his greatest victory. “I’m glad that I was able to keep my promise to Takuma to attend the press conference the day after the fight. I’m happy that we can be together.” By far the biggest takeaway from the press conference was Inoue’s admission that his vaunted killer instinct dimmed when he realized that Nakatani had suffered a serious eye injury. While the broken orbital bone still had to be diagnosed, Inoue was the one who caused the damage and would have sensed his opponent’s plight. “I wasn’t 100% determined to just knock him out,” admitted Inoue. “It was a complicated feeling, something I’d never experienced before.” When the press conference ended, there were more interviews to do, and then it was time to pack following the boxing experience of a lifetime.
TAKUMA
Having lurked in his older brother’s monstrous shadow for several years, Takuma Inoue is now carving out a legacy of his own. The reigning WBC bantamweight titleholder turned Kazuto Ioka’s dream of becoming his country’s first five-weight world champion into a nightmare with a punch-perfect display in the co-main event. There was a case for giving Inoue every round of the fight, with two eye-popping knockdowns putting an exclamation mark on a career- best victory. While the 30-year-old technician doesn’t have his older brother’s power or explosiveness, his skills, movement, hand speed and cat-like reflexes are a difficult riddle to solve. Inoue (22-2, 5 KOs) entered the bout as a slight favorite, likely because he’s seven years younger than Ioka and natural at the weight. However, no one could have expected him to dominate a world-class fighter the way he did. This was a keystone moment in his career and served as a perfect encore behind his impressive points triumph over Tenshin Nasukawa in November. While Naoya Inoue doing his thing is can’t-miss TV, fans and media would do well to pay attention to Takuma, who is one of the most improved fighters in world boxing.
RUDY REVIEW Rudy Hernandez, trainer of Nakatani, is one of boxing’s true gentlemen. A former professional and the younger brother of the late, great two-time junior lightweight champion Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez, Rudy is now firmly established as one of the finest coaches in the world. I met him on Friday morning before the weigh-in, which took place at Korakuen Hall, and asked about tactics. “We’re going to move to our right, jab and keep the distance,” Hernandez explained. “But we know [Inoue] is gonna fuckin’ attack us. That’s who he is. When he does attack, we’ll meet him.” After the post-fight press
The famous Ohashi Gym. ... Nothing but respect between the combatants.
conference, I headed to the Tokyo Dome Hotel to take care of some interview commitments. Rudy was the first person I saw upon entering the lobby, so I was eager to get his post-fight opinions. Were there any regrets about starting so slowly? “Our fight really started in Round
6. Early on, Inoue is good with timing, very explosive, very strong and very powerful,” acknowledged the Los Angeles-based trainer. “Out of respect, we’re not going to rush in there and say, ‘Let’s do this!’ We had to work sensibly and see what we could gain out of it. “After the sixth round, I said, ‘Junto,
I think you need to start letting your hands go, make it a fight and take it to him!’ By being aggressive and taking
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