Boxing: Naoya Inoue, Luis Nery to fight in Tokyo Dome on May 6

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan’s undisputed world super bantamweight boxing champion Naoya Inoue will face Mexico’s Luis Nery at Tokyo Dome on May 6, the organizers said Wednesday.

The 30-year-old Inoue last year became only the second boxer in history to conquer all four belts in two different weight classes after knocking out American Stephen Fulton in July and Filipino Marlon Tapales in December.

Nicknamed “Monster,” Inoue swept four bantamweight world titles in December 2022 before moving up a division to achieve the same feat. He is 26-0 in his professional career with 23 wins coming by knockout.

“My motivation is really high,” Inoue told a press conference. “I’ll need to roll my sleeves up to face a strong boxer, and get myself into the best shape of my career. It’ll be a heated fight.”

“My impression is that he is a hard hitter, and from video I’ve seen, he can take a punch.”

Nery, top-ranked by the World Boxing Council, had his bantamweight belt stripped by the body in 2018 after failing to make weight ahead of his bout against Japan’s Shinsuke Yamanaka.

The Japan Boxing Commission suspended his license in Japan but it has since been reinstated. The 29-year-old, who also recorded a doping violation in 2017, is 35-1 with 27 KOs.

“I’m aware of that story from the past,” Inoue said of the 2018 incident with Yamanaka. “(But) this time it’ll be about me against Nery. I’ll try not to bring that history into our bout.”

Mike Tyson fought world heavyweight title bouts in 1988 and 1990 at Tokyo Dome, one of the largest entertainment facilities in Japan.

“I can’t imagine it yet, but I think it’ll be a monumental event,” Inoue said. “I want to have a bout befitting an undisputed champion. It will be a boost to my career if I defeat Nery in an overwhelming fashion that makes clear the gulf between us.”

Inoue’s matchup with Nery will be one of four world title bouts on the card that night. Inoue’s younger brother Takuma will make his second WBA bantamweight title defense, against top-ranked compatriot Sho Ishida.

WBA flyweight champion Seigo Yuri Akui will square off with third-ranked Taku Kuwahara in his first title defense, while Australian WBO bantamweight belt holder Jason Moloney will take on 10th-ranked Yoshiki Takei, a former K-1 kickboxer.