The ‘Monster’ Naoya Inoue (30-0; 27 KOs) kept his record intact after defeating American Ramon Cardenas (26-2; 14 KOs) by technical knockout in the eighth round, although he was almost dealt an unexpected setback. The undisputed super bantamweight champion returned to the United States four years after his last fight on the world stage and needed to shine. However, in the second round his opponent sent him to the canvas with a powerful left hook.
Inoue got up quickly, although more than one feared that it would have been a definitive blow like the one from Marquez to Pacquiao. It was accurate but not as powerful as that one. The Japanese fighter got up, received the protection count and then the bell rang. Tragedy loomed at the possibility of a historic upset at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas. It is enough to point out that the odds were 100/1. Luis Nery had already made him kiss the canvas last year, but as in that fight, the Monster came back combative and eager to turn the situation around.
The Japanese fighter continued to work hard to undermine Cardenas’ resistance, who nevertheless continued to respond with some dangerous counters. In the sixth round he was already very punished and spent almost all the time against the ropes. In the seventh, it was more of the same and Naoya ended up knocking him down with a right hook towards the end of the round. The final point would be put by the Japanese in the eighth after chaining a series of combinations until the referee decided to stop the action.
Inoue’s next hurdle will be Murodjon Akhmadaliev (13-1; 10 KOs), an Olympic bronze medallist at Rio 2016, with whom there is already a deal in place for September. The time has not yet come for the Japanese showdown against Junto Nakatani
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