By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda
Unbeaten “Monster” Naoya Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs), 118, unified the WBC, WBA and IBF bantamweight belts as he annihilated Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs), 117.75, at 1:24 of the second round on Tuesday in Saitama, Japan. Naoya quickly decked Nonito with a solid right counter in the closing seconds of the opening session with the Filipino having a narrow escape. The second round witnessed Monster accelerate his attack and finally deck Filipino Flash with a vicious left hook following a flurry of strong shots to the face. The victor jubilantly said, “I intended to be one-sidedly victorious like this. I did it.” He strongly wishes to unify all the four belts with WBO ruler Paul Butler within this year and then move up to the 122-pound category. Some 17,000 people were in attendance at the Saitama Super Arena.
The crestfallen loser Nonito, a five-division champ, said, “Naoya was so strong that he deserved a victory. I say Congrats to him.” He gamely stood up and attempted to resume fighting, but his rubbery legs betrayed him to prompt the Canadian ref Michael Griffin’s well-timed stoppage.
They furiously exchanged gloves over twelve give-and-take rounds in November 2019, so they literally began to fight from the thirteenth round. But it abruptly ended in the fourteenth session as Inoue improved his power, speed and timing much more than Donaire. Their difference of ages—Naoya 29 and Donaire 39—also might account for a quick stoppage.
Inoue’s father and chief second Shingo seemed very delightful, saying, “I wish to see Naoya hold all the four championship belts. I know it isn’t easy, but I believe Naoya will be able to accomplish it now that we have come up to here.”
Inoue’s manager Hideyuki Ohashi, former WBC and WBA 105-pound champion, looked very happy, and said, “He’s really Monster. I didn’t expect it to end so quickly.”
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist and ex-WBA middleweight titleholder Ryota Murata was one of television commentators and reviewed the short but condensed fight, saying, “The first knockdown in the first round actually decided the outcome. Donaire couldn’t recover from the damage he suffered in the opening session.” Inoue and Murata previously shared a same room during their amateur training camp, though Naoya was a high school boy, while Murata a university student. After his triumph Naoya came to the commentator’s table and shook hands with Ryota.
Naoya engaged in a world title bout from his sixth pro bout with Adrian Hernandez, from whom he wrested the WBC 108-pound belt via sixth round TKO in 2014. Since then, Monster thus scored eighteen wins straight all in world title goes.
Naoya finally closed his speech, “Since my opponent was Donaire, I was so highly motivated. He had been my idol since my school days. I believe it is my pride that I could swap gloves with such a great boxer as Donaire.”
The judges were as follows: David Sutherland (US), Patrick Morley (US) and Jean-Robert Laine (Monaco)—all scoring 10-8 for the opening round.
The supervisors were as follows: Duane Ford (WBC), Carlos Chavez (WBA) and Tsuyoshi Yasukochi (IBF)—with WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman in attendance.
Promoter: Ohashi Promotions in association with Teiken Promotions.
Attendance: 17,000.
Remarks: Naoya Inoue, who described this victory as his very best fight, wasn’t happy at one thing. While he was fighting and all his family came to see him fight, some robbers entered his home and stole some of the champ’s important property. But that’s another story. World champions, take care of your home while you are fighting with your belt on the line.
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