After their super-bantamweight title fight tonight (May 6) in Tokyo, a humbled Luis Nery approached Naoya Inoue, possibly to congratulate him or apologize. However, Inoue greeted him as if he had never seen his face before, despite the punishment he had joyfully inflicted on Nery for five and a half rounds.
Instead, Inoue merely cast a quick, dismissive gaze over his shoulder at Nery, choosing to bask in the adulation of his comrades and supporters who engulfed him in jubilation after his triumphant win. Unwanted and disregarded, Nery, feeling the sting of rejection, retreated to his own corner with a disheveled appearance and a sense of defeat.
The reason behind Inoue’s reaction remains a subject of speculation. It could have been influenced by the pre-fight comments, with Nery describing Inoue as overrated, over-confident, and ordinary. Alternatively, it could have been due to their past encounters or a sense of relief.
However, there seemed to be a clear animosity between Inoue and Nery. Nery’s previous visits to Japan had not been without controversy, as he had caused disruptions in Shinsuke Yamanaka’s career twice before. First, he failed a drug test in 2017, and then he was unable to make weight in 2018. As a result, the Japan Boxing Commission banned him from ever fighting in Japan again. Although this ban was recently lifted, Inoue, being Yamanaka’s fellow countryman, and the 55,000 fans inside Tokyo Dome were not pleased with Nery’s past behavior. The crowd was uncharacteristically vocal, booing Nery even before the first bell rang.
Inoue and Nery (Photo: Naoki Fukuda)
That initial moment set the stage for what was about to unfold. It took everyone by surprise, including Inoue and those who anticipated his revenge against Yamanaka. Nobody had ever anticipated Nery, who was expected to be an easy opponent, to land a powerful left hook just a minute and a half into the fight, knocking Inoue down for the first time in his professional career of 27 fights. It was a shocking turn of events. Inoue, fueled with determination, had unleashed his full force early on, only to realize that Nery, with a record of 35-2 (27), was not only willing to engage in a brawl but also possessed a significant amount of power that demanded Inoue’s respect.
The initial punch also caused him pain. It was not just a quick knockdown or a lucky strike; Inoue was visibly shocked by Nery’s first left hand and made sure to stay down until he felt confident enough to stand, taking full advantage of referee Michael Griffin’s count.
Upon realizing that they would, Inoue promptly stood up. Sensing his chance, Nery crowded him and unleashed a flurry of punches, throwing anything and everything he could think of at Inoue. It was a metaphorical storm that Inoue probably anticipated, but it didn’t last very long. Surprisingly, by the end of the round, it was Inoue who was seen rocking back Nery’s head with a powerful right uppercut. As the four-weight champion, Inoue took a brief moment to shake out his arms and smile through his gum shield.
Nery is being measured by Inoue (PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)
It is possible that he was aware. He may have been aware that the effect of Nery’s left hand was only temporary, rather than lasting, and he may have known that its true impact, in terms of how it would affect the fight, would only result in more punishment for Nery himself. This could explain why Inoue began the second round with such confidence and energy, and why he appeared so eager to retaliate, which he successfully did by swiftly knocking Nery down with a left hook counter as Nery advanced with his feet in a square position.
Inoue had already turned the tide of the fight and restored balance, despite being knocked down in round one. Although there was some temporary misalignment, it quickly faded away. The atmosphere in the Tokyo Dome had changed drastically from uncertainty about a potential upset to a familiar sense of inevitability. Inoue’s ability to bounce back from a knockdown was not unusual, as he had already demonstrated in previous fights. By round two, he had already retaliated with a knockdown of his own, making you forget about the initial setback in just a few minutes.
Not only the fans, but Nery himself, also experienced this feeling. His frustration escalated during the third and fourth rounds, leading him to adopt a kamikaze-like approach in the fifth round. In this round, the Mexican southpaw began to charge forward without purpose, displaying reckless abandon that showed more of a desire to end his suffering rather than desperation. At best, he wanted to expedite the conclusion of the fight to avoid the pain that awaited him in the remaining acts.
With each shot, Nery, a 29-year-old, grew more rigid. In the fight, he was knocked down for the second time by an Inoue left hook, leaving only 30 seconds remaining in round five. Struggling, he managed to get back on his feet, but his actions were hesitant and timid, lacking the vigor one would expect. His eyes and body seemed to convey an unwillingness, as if he was reluctantly complying, much like a teenager on a Monday morning in bed. Everyone, including Nery himself, was well aware of what awaited him in the upcoming round.
Inoue nears the end (YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images)
However, if you believed that Inoue would immediately attack his injured opponent and finish the fight, you were mistaken. Instead, Inoue strategized to keep Nery in a state of shock, unaware of his vulnerability. In the sixth round, Inoue allowed Nery to make his final stand before retaliating with a barrage of powerful right hands. The last punch was so forceful that it snapped Nery’s head back, causing him to crumble to the canvas. The fall was so dramatic and the punch so devastating that the referee saw no need to count, promptly stopping the match at one minute and 22 seconds of the sixth round.
In an instant, it was all over. Inoue, aged 31, secured his 27th consecutive professional victory, with an impressive 24 of them ending in stoppages. Meanwhile, Nery, the remorseful antagonist, was left engulfed in a sense of profound alienation and solitude. In some aspects, one could argue that Nery experienced the harshest treatment from Inoue tonight. You see, this was not the compassionate Inoue who breaks his opponents’ spirits and visages with a violent yet compassionate demeanor, only to express gratitude afterward. Instead, it was an Inoue consumed by animosity, showing no mercy and offering no forgiveness. It was an Inoue of monstrous proportions, disrespectful and undoubtedly the most terrifying version witnessed thus far.
