Inoue and Neri: Ready to Make History in the Iconic Boxing Arena!

Boxing Scene spills the scoop: the reigning absolute world champ of the second lightweight division (up to 55.2 kg), Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs), is gearing up to face the WBC's mandatory challenger, Luis Neri (35-1, 27 KOs). The stage is set for May 6 in Japan.

This high-stakes match is pegged for the legendary Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, an arena that's been the stomping ground for only two Mike Tyson fights in its storied history. It's a coliseum with the capacity to pack in 55,000 fight fans.

Rewind to March 21, 1988, in Japan: Mike Tyson sent Tony Tubbs packing, and fast forward to two years later, the arena witnessed Tyson's first career defeat at the hands of James "Buster" Douglas.

The Inoue-Neri face-off at the Tokyo Dome hangs on a thread – it's up to the Japan Boxing Commission. The deal clincher? Whether they'll lift Luis Neri's lifetime ban, a penalty he bagged for a weigh-in flub, and a positive dope test ahead of his bouts with Shinsuke Yamanaka.