On May 6 in Tokyo, Japan, a fight for the undisputed super bantamweight championship (55.3 kg) took place between Japan's Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) and Mexico's Luis Nery (35-2, 27 KOs).
The bout ended with an early victory for Inoue in the sixth round.
Naoya Inoue was knocked down in the first round – the first knockdown of the Japanese fighter's professional career. In the second round, it was Nery who was knocked down after a counter left hook from the champion.
This marks the Japanese fighter's 22nd win in 22 career title fights.
Judges' Scorecards
Fight Statistics
Inoue landed 107 out of 239 (44.8%) punches. Nery landed 54 out of 194 (27.8%).
Naoya landed 45 jabs out of 112 thrown (40.2%). His opponent landed 20 out of 70 (28.6%).
Inoue's primary connections were power punches: 62 out of 127 (48.8%). Luis' corresponding figure was 34 out of 124 (27.4%).
What's Next?
Inoue confidently passed his mandatory challenger and defended his title. Japanese promoter Bob Arum stated that Naoya could move up in weight next year. Given the champion's typical pace, he will likely be back in the ring again.
Among potential opponents is Uzbek Muradjon Akhmadaliev, who is close in ranking and suffered a loss to Marlon Tapales, who fought Inoue shortly afterward.
However, Turki Al Al-Sheikh, who wants to organize a fight for the Japanese fighter, could also come up with an interesting twist for the two-time undisputed champion's career.