Knockout monster Naoya Inoue has been nothing short of dominant throughout his impressive boxing career.
With Inoue winning his first world title in 2014, he has remained at the top of various divisions since early on in his career.
One of the few men to be undisputed in the four-belt era, doing so in two weight divisions, Inoue has won world titles in four weight classes.
However, despite Inoue’s impressive 29-0 boxing record, he did have to face some adversity in a 2024 title fight.
Naoya Inoue was knocked down by Luis Nery in 2024
In May 2024, Inoue would welcome Luis Nery to his native Japan for a world super bantamweight title showdown.
Aiming to dethrone Inoue’s undisputed crown, former world champion Nery went into the bout with a 35-1 record. Although he went into the bout as a huge underdog, he almost caused an almighty upset.
In the opening round of the bout, the first moment of significance would come from the Mexican fighter. A left hook from the challenger would catch Inoue, sending him to the canvas.
Despite the knockdown, Inoue was able to recover and see out the round. As well as this, he was able to get his revenge in the next round.
In round two, Inoue would land his own left hook, putting Nery down for the first time.
Nery would go down for a second time in the fifth round before a brutal right hand would end the bout in the sixth round.
Naoya Inoue to face Ramon Cardenas in May 2025
With his undisputed title on the line, Inoue will welcome challenger Ramon Cardenas (26-1) in his next fight.
Looking to retain his super bantamweight titles, Inoue will face Cardenas in Las Vegas. The ‘Monster’ will be looking to improve over a stoppage over short-notice opponent Ye Joon Kim, and add a 27th knockout to his resume.
Cardanes is coming off a unanimous decision win over Bryan Acosta (20-0) and has not tasted defeat since 2017.
The American fighter has never competed for a world title before, meaning his bout with Inoue will be his first opportunity.