Luis Nery of Mexico delivered a stunning blow to the reigning pound-for-pound king and the 55,000-strong crowd at the Tokyo Dome Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Monday night. In a jaw-dropping turn of events, Nery dropped Naoya Inoue in the first round, marking the first time the Japanese sensation had been sent to the canvas in his stellar career, courtesy of a devastating left counter. While Inoue managed to survive the round, the sold-out arena held its breath, witnessing a rare moment of vulnerability from the Japanese phenom.
Despite Nery's strong start in the second round, Inoue showcased his remarkable resilience, staging a comeback with a well-timed left that floored the Mexican, swiftly evening the score. Over the following rounds, Inoue utilized his lightning speed to dominate the proceedings, landing precise combinations to both the head and body, gradually asserting his control over the fight.
As the bout progressed into the fifth round, Inoue's relentless assault intensified, with Nery finding himself on the receiving end of punishing combinations. A short left by Inoue the landed to Nery's jaw in the last 40 seconds of the round sent Nery to the canvas for the 2nd time. Inoue smells blood but Nery survives the round.
By the sixth round, it was evident that Nery was severely compromised, and it was only a matter of time before Inoue unleashed his devastating power once again. That came at 1:45 minute of the round when Inoue connected with a left jab, a right uppercut and a right straight combination that sent Nery crashing to the canvas in his own corner. Veteran referee Michael Griffin did not even bother to count.
With this emphatic victory, Inoue retained his WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO super bantamweight titles, further solidifying his status as one of the sport's most dominant champions. Nery, on the other hand, suffered a setback, dropping to a record of 35-2-0, with 27 knockouts.
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