Inoue KO's Kim In 4

Undefeated Undisputed Jr. Featherweight world champion Naoya Inoue scored a fourth round knockout of WBO number eleven rated Jr. Featherweight contender Ye Joon Kim on Friday night at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Despite Kim taking the fight on eleven days notice, over 15,000 spectators filled the Ariake Arena, a site that has hosted several of Inoue’s previous fights. A testament to the star power of Inoue in his native Japan where he has become in many observer’s opinions as among the best fighters pound for pound in the world.

This fight also presented a little of a different challenge for the four-division world champion in having to adjust to a change of opponent after original opponent, IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman was forced to pull out of the fight twice, first on the original date on Christmas Eve of last year and then having to pull out of the rescheduled date of January 24th due to the cut that he suffered in training prior to the original postponement. Kim appeared to be a capable opponent who stepped in to take the assignment in his first opportunity to fight for a world championship.

The fight began with Kim initially pressing forward and slightly moving Inoue backward fighting out of the southpaw stance. This set up an interesting tactical battle as the two fighters prodded for position with each attempting to attack the other in short bursts of offense with the champion gradually taking over the position as the fighter applying consistent pressure on the challenger. Despite consistently pushing Kim back against the ropes and periodically cornering him, the fight remained very close with Kim being able to periodically land combinations to the head throughout the first three rounds.

As the fight moved into the fourth round, it appeared as though it would be more of the same. The subtle work Inoue was able to do to Kim’s body, however, that was mostly non-descript up to that point, began to create openings to the challenger’s head. Inoue connected with a combination to the head, which had Kim waving him in seemingly inviting the champion, a fighter with a 90% career knockout percentage to throw more at him. This would prove to be a serious mistake as moments later a straight right hand down the middle landed flush on the challenger’s chin and sent him down to the canvas where he was unable to beat the count. At 2:25 of round four, the fight was over in a way that so many of Inoue’s fights have ended throughout his Hall of Fame career, in a sudden and brutal fashion. 

While many expected this type of outcome for Inoue in his latest title defense given the circumstances in which the fight came to fruition, this observer feels that Inoue was not only impressive in his latest performance in his tenth consecutive knockout victory, but he also showed the ability to adapt to a change in opponent on limited notice and even conceded that due to the limited time, he did not study as much film on Kim as he would like. Given the circumstances and the champion’s candor in admitting having limited time to study his opponent before getting in the ring, his ability to seemingly adjust to what was in front of him was impressive.

Perhaps the most interesting development to come out of this fight for the champion, however, is that his co-promoter Hall of Famer Bob Arum announced to the crowd in attendance that Inoue will be returning to the United States for the first time in nearly four years for his next fight in the spring in Las Vegas, which was followed by Inoue telling the crowd that he also intends to fight in Saudi Arabia this year, which has rapidly become a hot spot in the sport as well. 

Frankly, Inoue is one of the few fighters in the sport who could stay where he is comfortable competing, which is in Japan and not only draw massive crowds wherever he fights in the country, but also per his dominance in the sport and that ability to be a massive draw both as a ticket seller and as a fighter that will draw ratings both in Japan and internationally where his fights air in the early morning hours here in the United States via streaming networks, to convince fighters from around the world to travel to Japan to face him where at least financially there is no incentive to go elsewhere. To his credit, however, Naoya Inoue realizes that Boxing is a true global entity and his wanting to not only return to the United States, but also take part in the sport’s global expansion where he will no doubt help open Boxing to new eyes should be seen as a positive both for his legacy and the sport overall. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Inoue-Kim Weights From Tokyo, Japan

The official weigh-in for Friday's Undisputed Jr. Featherweight world championship fight between undefeated champion Naoya Inoue and challenger Ye Joon Kim took place earlier today in Tokyo, Japan. The fight, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ will headline a card of Boxing held at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. Both champion Inoue and Kim weighed in identically just under the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight limit at 121 ¾ lbs. The bout is scheduled for twelve rounds.  As of this writing, there is no word regarding what other bouts on the card, which includes four additional bouts, will be included on the ESPN+ broadcast.

Inoue vs. Kim takes place on Friday, January 24th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+  beginning at 4:15AM ET/1:15AM PT and will be available for on demand viewing immediately following the live broadcast. 

(*Card and Start Time Subject to Change*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

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Can Inoue Adjust To A Change On Short Notice?

There is little doubt that one of the biggest stars to emerge in the sport of Boxing over the last several years, not just in the lower weight divisions, but in the entire sport has been Nayoa Inoue. If a fighter with a near 90% career knockout percentage is not enough to earn one star status in the sport on its own, Inoue is a four-division world champion, who has this far won world titles from the Jr. Flyweight to the Jr. Featherweight divisions becoming an undisputed champion in both the Bantamweight and Jr. Featherweight divisions along the way. 

A fighter that has truly carved a Hall of Fame career in just twenty-eight professional fights having fought a who's who along the way, dominating all opposition and emerging still unbeaten. While the question that typically follows a fighter like Inoue who has gone through multiple weight divisions with relative ease is how high up the weight scale before they hit the ceiling, not just in terms of how high they can go, but also doing so while still remaining competitive, Inoue is preparing to do something we have not seen him faced with before on a big stage. The Undisputed Jr. Featherweight champion of the world will defend his crown on Friday, January 24th in a familiar site, the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, site of many of his fights throughout his career. 

Inoue, however, will not be facing WBO number one Jr. Featherweight contender Sam Goodman, whom he was scheduled to face on Christmas Eve 2024 before it was postponed due to Goodman suffering a cut while in training. Despite the flight being moved to January 24th, Goodman would suffer a second cut after resuming training forcing him to withdraw for a second time. Rather than postpone a scheduled bout for a second time, Inoue will still defend his title on January 24th. In steps WBO number eleven Jr. Featherweight contender Ye Joon Kim to challenge Inoue for the Undisputed Jr. Featherweight crown in a fight that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

Although this presents a challenge for Inoue in facing an opponent change with only a few weeks notice, just who is Ye Joon Kim? A veteran of twenty-five professional fights, he has a respectable record of 21-2-2, with 13 Knockouts with a career knockout percentage just over 61%. While this suggests Kim has punching power, he is a boxer/puncher who will enter this fight having won four of his last five bouts via stoppage. The challenger, who is a native of Seoul, South Korea, who goes by the nickname “The Troublemaker," has never been stopped in his career, which in of itself is interesting given Inoue’s reputation as a "Knockout Artist” having knocked out twenty-five of his previous twenty-eight opponents.

The question for "The Troublemaker” here will be whether he will be able to deal with not only the occasion of fighting on the big stage of the sport for the first time, but also the non-stop pressure and attack of the champion known to his fans worldwide as "The Monster." While “The Troublemaker vs. The Monster" is certainly a clever promotional tagline that by circumstance fell into the promoters of this fight’s hands, it is important to keep in mind that there have been few fighters that have been able to last against Inoue and it has proven to be a difficult task to achieve in going the distance with him, let alone come close to scoring a victory over him. 

Perhaps what Kim has in his favor going into this fight beyond coming in on short notice, which is as much an adjustment for the fighter taking the bout as it is for the fighter who had a scheduled opponent fall out, is a bit of the unknown as far as what he will pose in terms of a challenge once he and the champion Inoue are in the ring. There are likely some who are expecting Inoue to for lack of a better term, steamroll through a largely unknown opponent. If Kim and his team are expecting the champion to come out with intentions of ending the fight quickly, it could work to his advantage if he is prepared to show from the outset that he will be dictating how this fight is fought and not the champion. 

Some may say that Kim needs to land someone significant early in order to get the champion's respect, but if this is a rare circumstance where Inoue is not as prepared as he normally is due to a postponement and his scheduled opponent withdrawing twice, if Kim can make things uncomfortable for the champion simply by controlling the pace and making Inoue fight at a pace that favors him more, it could indicate where his chances are to pull what would be considered an upset, especially if Inoue is not prepared to go the twelve round distance on short notice. 

Boxing is certainly a sport of opportunity and as one fighter’s opportunity has for the moment been delayed again due to injury, it now provides another with what could be the ideal opportunity to seize the day and potentially score the first upset of 2025. Whether Kim can do that remains to be seen. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Inoue vs. Kim takes place on Friday, January 24th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+  beginning at 4:15AM ET/1:15AM PT and will be available for on demand viewing immediately following the live broadcast. 

(*Card and Start Time Subject to Change*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

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Is Doheny Catching "The Monster" At The Right Time?

There is little doubt that one of Boxing’s biggest stars in recent years has been the undefeated Naoya Inoue. A fighter known simply to Boxing fans as “The Monster." Inoue has been one of the most dominant fighters of this generation being one of the few fighters to become an undisputed world champion in multiple weight divisions. Currently sitting atop the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight division as its undisputed champion, Inoue has rarely faced an opponent that has been able to withstand his constant pressure and punching power, which has seen him score knockouts in twenty-four of his twenty-seven career wins registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 89%.

As intimidating as that statistic is, there have been a few occasions throughout Inoue’s career where he has been tested. Some may recall Inoue’s first encounter with future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire in November 2019 in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series® ️ Bantamweight tournament. In what was the fight of the year, Donaire was able to engage Inoue in a toe to toe battle that went the twelve round world championship distance. Inoue was not only able to continue to dominate all competition following his victory over Donaire to win that tournament, but was also able to score a brutal knockout of Donaire in their rematch in June 2022.

In his last fight, however, Inoue received a scare in his title defense against former two-division world champion Luis Nery in May of this year, when Nery dropped Inoue hard with a flush left hook to the jaw in the first round. While Inoue was able to recover and stop Nery in the sixth round, some might view what Nery was able to do as a possible sign that there might be a way to combat “The Monster." 

Inoue’s next title defense will come on Tuesday, September 3rd at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan against former IBF Jr. Featherweight world champion TJ Doheny. A fight that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+. Doheny, a veteran of thirty professional fights, held the IBF world championship in the Jr. Featherweight division from 2018-2019, will come into this fight rated number two in the world in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and number four in the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Jr. Featherweight ratings. The challenger will also enter this bout riding a four fight winning streak. 

If one were to look for some additional positives for Doheny coming into this fight, he has twenty knockouts in his twenty-six career wins and has never been stopped in his four career losses. Additionally, Doheny is a world-class boxer and has shown he can go far into fights and go the distance. The question is whether he can do that against a fighter like Inoue.

How can the challenger do this? It is crucial that Doheny establish himself as an elusive target immediately. This is a task that is easier said than done both due to Inoue’s constant pressure as well as his punching power in both hands. Doheny must find a way to offset that pressure and do so for all twelve rounds. An additional challenge will be for him to pick his spots to try and land offense and get back to a safe distance before Inoue can land punches. One approach he could take might be to try and time the champion as he comes forward and take in the role of a counter puncher in looking to counter what Inoue throws. This is how Luis Nery was able to catch Inoue with that left hook in waiting for the champion to drop his hand, which provided a brief opening that he was able to take advantage of. Simply put, Doheny must be tactical and out-think the champion if he wants to become a two-time world champion in this fight.

Although this likely has an appearance of simply the next title defense in what will be a Hall of Fame career for Inoue, it is important to keep in mind that even though he did stop Luis Nery in his last fight and showed that he can deal with adversity, for a fighter with a moniker as “The Monster," it was the first time that Inoue also showed that like every other fighter, he is human. The question that he will have to answer in this bout is whether the knockdown he suffered against Nery was a case of a tactical mistake, which on that night he was able to quickly correct and go on to another victory, or if that brief moment was perhaps a sign that an aura that often follows fighters like Inoue, who are known as " Knockout Artists” might be beginning to fade. If it is the latter, TJ Doheny could be in a scenario where he might be in the right place at the right time to catch Inoue if the champion is starting to slip from his best performances.

"And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Inoue vs. Doheny takes place on Tuesday, September 3rd at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:45AM ET/2:45AM PT.

ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. For more information on ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

(*Card and Start time Subject to Change.*)

(* U.S. Times Only/Check your local listings Internationally.*)

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"The Monster" Inoue Becomes Four-Division World Champion By Knocking Out Fulton In 8

 The final week of July 2023 may be a week that will go on to be known as one that changed some of the norms or what are perceived as norms in the sport of Boxing. Perhaps the most significant among them, the best fighters fighting the best without worry of promoter interests or television/streaming network allegiances. While the final week of July 2023 will be headlined by undefeated Welterweight world champions Errol Spence and Terrence Crawford meeting to determine the Undisputed Welterweight championship of the world on July 29th, what could prove to be a landmark week in Boxing history began on Tuesday evening in Japan, Tuesday morning here in the United States as undefeated former three-division world champion Naoya Inoue moved up in weight to challenge undefeated WBO/WBC Jr. Featherweight world champion Stephen Fulton at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Despite being the naturally shorter fighter, who was moving up in weight, Inoue dictated how the fight was fought from the opening bell. To the surprise of many however, the noted "Knockout Artist" showed the immaculate ability to be a highly skilled, but also extremely disciplined boxer. What made it particularly surprising to see Inoue implement this strategy was that he did it against one of the best pure boxers in the entire sport in Fulton.

From the opening bell, Inoue established his jab, but did so at varying levels, mixing it to the body and head, while maintaining distance where the champion had difficulty in both getting his punches off and landing consistently. This along with outstanding footwork and timing made it extremely difficult for Fulton, who is normally an elusive boxer that uses lateral movement and consistent offense, to move unless Inoue allowed it. This was the pattern for several rounds as Inoue kept jabbing with consistency, but swarming with short and explosive three and four punch combinations before maintaining distance. 

The challenger put round after round in the bank with this strategy and was seemingly winning every round of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout. As it appeared Inoue was Boxing his way to what would be a convincing unanimous decision victory and perhaps a shutout on the scorecards, the challenger as he has done throughout his career, brought the fight to a sudden and devastating conclusion. In round eight, in the blink of an eye, Inoue connected with a flush overhand right followed by a left hook to the head that knocked Fulton down on his back on the canvas. A clearly hurt world champion, Fulton showed his mettle by getting up from the knockdown, but the seasoned finisher in Inoue, known to his fans as "The Monster" went in for the kill, mercilessly attacking Fulton with a barrage of punches that knocked the champion down into a neutral corner as the fight was being stopped at 1:11 of the eighth round. 

Although Naoya Inoue will forever be known in the eyes of most fans by the knockouts he has been able to compile throughout his career, this was a fight that introduced a new wrinkle to his fight game that arguably makes him even more dangerous. The ability to box tactically, remain disciplined for the entire fight, and just when it seemed as though he was content to get the decision win, he explodes suddenly and ends the fight. Inoue also established himself firmly in the sport’s mythical pound for pound debates.

Prior to this fight, this observer questioned whether or not Inoue, who began his career at 108lbs. would find out that moving up to the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight division would be the moment that he found that he reached the ceiling in terms of how far up he could go up the weight scale and be at his competitive best. Having moved up after conquering the 118lb. Bantamweight division to face the unbeaten Stephen Fulton in his first fight as a Jr. Featherweight and dominating arguably the top fighter in the division before ending the fight via another statement-making knockout, the question now becomes is there a fighter either at Jr. Featherweight or even the 126 lb. Featherweight division that can challenge Inoue in a way where we find out where the ceiling for him might be. Whatever might happen in the future, Naoya Inoue’s status as a future Hall of Famer is more than secure as well as his status as one of the greatest Japanese fighters of all-time. Having become only the twenty-second fighter in Boxing history to win four world championships in four different weight divisions, the Boxing world now waits to see what the next chapter in Inoue’s career might be.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Can Fulton Slay "The Monster" Inoue?

One of the biggest fights of 2023 will take place on Tuesday, July 25th in Tokyo, Japan as undefeated unified WBO/WBC Jr. Featherweight world champion Stephen Fulton will defend his crown against undefeated former Undisputed Bantamweight champion of the world Naoya Inoue. The bout, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ not only brings together two of the top stars in Boxing's lower weight divisions, but also presents an interesting clash of styles.

Fulton, who will enter the bout unbeaten in twenty-one professional bouts is a slick boxer/puncher that has thus far has proven to be elusive and a difficult puzzle for opponents to solve. The unified world champion in the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight division likely has an eye towards further unification of the division towards the eventual goal of becoming an undisputed world champion. Fulton's opponent on July 25th is a fighter that has already accomplished that goal as a 118lb. Bantamweight. This observer is referring to Naoya Inoue, a fighter simply known as "The Monster."

In his last fight, Inoue successfully unified the Bantamweight division  by scoring an eleventh round knockout of IBF world champion Paul Butler in December of last year. Inoue now sets his sights on attempting to become a three-division world champion after previously holding world titles as a 115lb. Jr. Bantamweight and Bantamweight.

There are a few things of interest beyond the stylistic differences between these two fighters. First among them is the location where the bout will be taking place. The Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. A site that will be hosting a Naoya Inoue fight for the second consecutive time as the venue also played host to Inoue's undisputed championship unification bout against Paul Butler last December. This in addition to Inoue's star status and ability to draw significant crowds in his native Japan, gives him a unique position to be in, in being able to essentially dictate where the fight would take place, despite now being a challenger. Second, despite the champion's ties to the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and manager/advisor Al Haymon, Fulton is essentially being treated as a challenger in facing Inoue on his terms, in the challenger's home country, and also under circumstances where there is little to no involvement from the PBC in terms of a promotional standpoint, even going as far as who will be broadcasting the bout in the United States as ESPN has an exclusive agreement with Inoue's United States promoter Bob Arum and his promotional company Top Rank, Inc.

While this may be something that some will interpret as an indication of the current state of where things are with the PBC as Fulton is the latest fighter to fight outside of the PBC umbrella, it does nevertheless indicate that these are less than favorable circumstances for the champion in having to defend his crown in unfamiliar surroundings and being treated as though he were the challenger as opposed to a defending unified world champion. The business elements of the sport, which often do not favor fighters, aside, how can Fulton get the job done against "The Monster?"

It is important to note that Inoue is referred to as "The Monster" because of his reputation as a "Knockout Artist" and his ability to score sudden and often brutal knockouts having scored knockouts in twenty-one of his twenty-four career wins registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 88%. Inoue has the clear advantage in this aspect as Fulton has only scored knockouts in eight of his twenty-one career wins. Fulton does have the Boxing skills to not only make things difficult for Inoue, but perhaps more importantly, the ability to go into the middle and late rounds of a fight, which if he can manage to build a lead on the scorecards, could prove crucial as the fight progresses. The champion must be elusive from the outset, look to land short combinations and move before Inoue can get close.

Although Fulton certainly has the skillet to accomplish this, it is something that could prove to be easier said than done as Inoue is a fighter that comes forward, applies constant pressure, and has knockout intention with almost every punch he throws. Naoya Inoue does have knockout power in either hand, but the challenger will have to answer two questions in addition to whether he can get to and break Fulton down as he has done to many of his previous opponents. How will he respond to getting hit by a naturally bigger fighter, who is a natural Jr. Featherweight?

Perhaps the question that most knowledgeable Boxing fans are likely asking is whether Inoue's punching power, which has been devastating in lower weight classes will carry with the same impact now as a Jr. Featherweight. It is indeed true that fighters throughout the history of the sport have been able to move up and at times, down the weight scale without a significant negative impact to their punching power or negative effects physically by adding or reducing weight. For some fighters, particularly those who compete in the lightest weight divisions Boxing has to offer, it can become an issue both in regard to a fighter's punching power as well as their ability to take a punch. Inoue began his career as a 108lb. Jr. Flyweight in October 2012. Although it is something that remains to be seen, it is not out of the realm of possibility that now fourteen pounds up the scale from where he made his pro debut over the course of an eleven year career, that this could be a fight that at the very least, might serve as an indicator as to whether Naoya Inoue has reached the ceiling as to how far he can go up in weight and be at his competitive best.

No matter what happens when Fulton defends his world championship against Inoue, the slightly wrinkle involving the business elements of the sport aside, this fight should serve as an example of what can happen when Boxing is treated with the respect it deserves. Two undefeated fighters, one a former two-division world champion, just coming off becoming an undisputed world champion in his previous division going against an undefeated unified world champion. It is a high stakes gamble for both fighters, but one that will benefit the sport in the long-term as it will show what can happen when the politics that be in Boxing does not get in the way of fights like this being made and fighters are allowed to do what they do best. Fight.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Fulton vs. Inoue takes place on Tuesday, July 25th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 4:30AM ET/1:30AM PT and will be available for on-demand viewing shortly after the event concludes. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs.

For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

*Card and start time subject to change.*

*Check your local listings internationally.*

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Inoue-Donaire 2 Weights From Tokyo, Japan

Press Release: By Probellum – TOKYO, JUNE 6 – Nonito Donaire says he is “fired up” after making weight ahead of his eagerly awaited rematch with Naoya Inoue.

The 39-year-old tipped the scales at 117.8lbs in Yokohama earlier today (June 6), to comfortably come inside the bantamweight limit, while Inoue weighed in at 118lbs. 

Credit: Probellum 

Donaire and his Japanese rival clash at the Super Arena in Saitama tomorrow, with the WBC, WBA and IBF world titles on the line, in a fight the whole of boxing will be watching.

After squaring off with Inoue for the final time before fight night, the Filipino Flash said: “I feel good, I feel great.  It is going to be an amazing night and you can look forward to seeing the best of me.

“I am very fired up and it is going to be a very exciting fight!”

CARL FRAMPTON SEES ‘SHOCK’ IN STORE

NEW GLOVES TO MAKE BIG DIFFERENCE - DONAIRE

The rematch of 2019’s Fight of the Year headlines an event which is promoted by Ohashi Promotion and Teiken Promotions, in association with Probellum, with the first fight due to start at 4:50pm local time, and Donaire vs Inoue scheduled for 9pm local time.

Donaire rebounded from the first fight with Inoue to claim the WBC bantamweight title and set up a second showdown which promises to be more explosive than their classic encounter, nearly three years ago.

The future Hall of Fame inductee is confident of gaining revenge over the fighter known as ‘Monster’ and Donaire wants to set up an undisputed clash with WBO champion Paul Butler.
 
To keep up to date with the latest news on Donaire vs Inoue, sign up to our newsletter or follow Probellum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.    
 
You can also follow our official news, results, and information account, Probellum News, on Twitter.  

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.

 

 Inoue vs. Donaire 2 takes place on Tuesday, June 7^th at the Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:30AM ET/2:30AM PT and will be available for on-demand viewing shortly after the live broadcast concludes.  ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/ Smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. *Check your local listings internationally.

 

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

NONITO DONAIRE VS NAOYA INOUE REMATCH TO BE ‘MONUMENTAL’ MOMENT FOR BOXING

 Press Release: By Probellum – LOS ANGELES, MAY 25 – Probellum is honoured to have helped the great Nonito Donaire secure a blockbuster bantamweight rematch with Naoya Inoue – a fight the whole of boxing was calling for. 

Credit: Probellum

Donaire and Inoue combined to produce 2019’s Fight of the Year and will rematch on June 7, at the Super Arena, in Saitama, Japan in one of the biggest contests to be made in the sport.

 

Donaire’s promoter Probellum, led by President Richard Schaefer, has been working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to help make this mouth-watering unification match-up a reality.

 

Next month’s rematch between Donaire and Inoue will be promoted by Ohashi Promotion and Teiken Promotions in association with Probellum. 

 

Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum said: “To be able to help bring together two of the best fighters in the world for this massive unification fight, is a proud moment for our business.

 

NONITO DONAIRE INTERVIEW - 'I'VE MADE MORE IMPROVEMENTS THAN INOUE'

 

“Probellum launched only eight months ago and has already been a key player in making sure the rematch between Donaire and Inoue becomes a reality.

 

“I am incredibly excited for this fight, so too are Donaire and Inoue and the whole of boxing cannot wait for it.”

 

Inoue edged a remarkable first contest between the pair, winning on the judges’ scorecards after 12 rounds, but Donaire fractured his opponent’s nose and broke his orbital bone, in a brutal fight for the ages. 

 

The Japanese star, who forced his rival to touch down in round 11, holds the WBA ‘Super’ and IBF belts in the 118lbs division but since their 2019 fight, Donaire has responded in legendary fashion, by winning the WBC crown with a fourth-round knockout of Nordine Oubaali.

 

The Filipino Flash, Nonito Donaire said: “Our first fight was brutal and amazing, it was a classic, but the rematch is going to be even better.

 

“I am heading into this monumental fight with a new mindset, because the first contest with Inoue was an awakening for me and I now know I can defeat him.

 

“I am incredibly grateful for the work of Richard and Probellum in helping to make this fight a reality because it is not only the fight I wanted, but the one the world wanted as well.

 

“June 7, in Japan, is going to be a special evening for the sport and make no mistake, it will end in a Donaire victory.”

 

Donaire, a future Hall of Fame fighter, joined the Probellum ranks in October last year, not long after the promotional company launched.  

 

The 39-year-old is a four-weight world champion and in winning the WBC bantamweight title in May, broke his own record as the oldest fighter to ever hold a belt in that division.

 

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Material and Photo Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.

 

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