Luis Nery Granted Permission to Fight in Japan

The Japanese Boxing Commission has lifted the ban on Mexican bantamweight fighter Luis Nery (35-1, 27 KOs), allowing him to participate in bouts within the country once again. Nery was previously subjected to a lifetime ban after testing positive in 2017 for the banned substance zilpaterol. This positive result came to light following his fourth-round technical knockout victory over Japanese world champion Shinsuke Yamanaka. In an attempt for a rematch in 2018, Nery failed to make weight but went on to win by technical knockout in the second round.

Nery is now the prime contender for a match against the undisputed bantamweight champion from Japan, Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs). Their eagerly anticipated showdown has been tentatively scheduled for May 6th, set to take place at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.