Japanese superstar Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue 23-0 (20) added the WBC bantamweight title to his IBF and WBA belts with a two-round demolition of Nonito ‘The Filipino Flash’ Donaire 42-7 (28) at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on Tuesday night.
The bout was a rematch of their 2019 Fight of the Year that saw Inoue suffer a fractured orbital bone before claiming a unanimous decision by scores of 116-111, 114-113 and 117-109.
The second bout was expected to be close and competitive again, but the 29-year-old Inoue never gave Donaire a chance to get out of the blocks.
Inoue worked well early behind a stiff jab before finding an opening for a right hand that sent Donaire to the deck late in the opening frame.
It didn’t get any better for the 39-year-old Donaire in the second frame as Inoue worked him over with the left hand before knocking him down again with a left hook.
Canadian referee Michael Griffin wisely waved off the one-sided contest at the 1:24 mark.
“I intended to be one-sidedly victorious like this. I did it,” three-weight world champion Inoue said after the fight.
The plan for Inoue is to face WBO ruler Paul Butler 34-2 (15) before moving up in weight again, where Stephen Fulton 21-0 (8) is the WBC and WBO champ. Murodjon Akhmadaliev 10-0 (7) holds the WBA and IBF belts.
Former four-weight world champion Donaire was understandably disappointed in defeat.
“It’s hard losing, especially when you’ve been winning,” Donaire said. “You have to regroup and look at the bigger picture.
“We implemented boxing. We had a great game plan, using the jab, the feint, moving. I had even worked with SugarHill [Steward] and he said to box and stuff. The moment I got caught, I just wanted to brawl.
“We have to take this learning experience into something positive. This is what happened with the first punch, the straight. I was trying to counter with a hook and I got caught with it [right hand from Inoue in round one]. I didn’t see it at all.
“All I know is the referee was counting me and I got up. He was still counting and I was like, ‘Why is he counting still?’ Then I turned around at my corner and Rich said, ‘Put your hands up, or he’ll count you out.’
“I put my hands up and I was, ‘I got dropped. I got dropped.’ When I went to my corner I said, ‘What did he hit me with?’ ‘It was a one-two’ so that’s what happened. I saw it in the replay but I came back real fast, though.
“I apologised to my guys for not performing the way I did and they said: ‘You’re still winning doing what others couldn’t do.’ I’m the kind of guy that never gives up.
“No matter how many times you drop me, I keep getting up. That’s just who I am and I’m proud of that. I can stand there, go down and get up as many times.
“I took his best shot and he can crack. He did what he did. I’m just grateful that I’m healthy.”
