FOUR world title fights to stream LIVE on ESPN+ MONDAY at 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT
Naoya Inoue defends his undisputed super bantamweight championship against Luis Nery on May 6th at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The ringwalks for Inoue vs. Nery are scheduled for 6 a.m. ET / 11 a.m. UK with the event getting underway at 4 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. UK. The time is inconvenient for U.S fans.
A Less Than Ideal Match-Up
Perhaps Top Rank figured that U.S. fans wouldn’t be eager to see the event because Inoue chose Nery, a fighter who was knocked out recently. This is the wrong guy for Monster Inoue to be fighting if he wants to get U.S. fans excited about his May 6th event.
Put Inoue in with Luis Alberto Lopez, and you’ve got an American audience that would be more than willing to get up at 4:00 am to watch it.
Top Rank calls this “the biggest boxing event” Japan has ever seen. but it’s unclear why. Nery was already knocked out by Brandon Figueroa in 2021
The undercard is a mixed bag for May 6th, with some okay fights, but nothing out of this world for it to be called the “biggest boxing event” in the history of Japan.
The Lopez Factor
That was a grueling match for ‘Monster’ Inoue, so it’s not surprising that he’s decided to stay at 122 rather than go up to 126 and be expected to face Luis Alberto Lopez, Raymond Ford, Rey Vargas, and Robeisy Ramirez.
“Naoya Inoue is the world’s best fighter, a young man who amazes me whenever he enters the ring. Luis Nery is a tough challenger, but I fully expect Inoue to get the job done in front of more than 50,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome,” said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
“In addition to this incredible main event, we have a spectacular undercard highlighted by Jason Moloney, a road warrior coming to Japan determined to show he’s the world’s best bantamweight.”
Running Order, Start Times
(Live on ESPN+, 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT)
- Naoya Inoue: 121 3/4 lbs | 55.3 kg vs. Luis Nery: 121 lbs | 54.9 kg (Inoue’s Undisputed Junior Featherweight World Title – 12 Rounds, Referee: Michael Griffin, Judges: Benoit Roussel, Jose Roberto Torres, Adam Height) ESTIMATED RING WALK TIME: 7:35 a.m. ET/4:35 a.m. PT
- Jason Moloney: 117 3/4 lbs | 53.5 kg vs. Yoshiki Takei: 117 3/4 lbs | 53.5 kg (Moloney’s WBO Bantamweight World Title — 12 Rounds, Referee: Steve Willis, Judges: Benoit Roussel, Ellis Johnson, Lou Moret) ESTIMATED RING WALK TIME: 6:25 a.m. ET/3:25 a.m. PT
- Takuma Inoue: 117 3/4 lbs | 53.5 kg vs. Sho Ishida: 117 3/4 lbs | 53.5 kg (Inoue’s WBA Bantamweight World Title — 12 Rounds, Referee: Luis Pabon, Judges: Pinit Prayadsab, Kazunobu Asao, Michiaki Someya) ESTIMATED RING WALK TIME: 5:20 a.m. ET/2:20 a.m. PT
- Seigo Yuri Akui: 112 lbs | 50.8 kg vs. Taku Kuwahara: 112 lbs | 50.8 kg (Akui’s WBA Flyweight World Title — 12 Rounds, Referee: Raul Caiz Jr.) ESTIMATED RING WALK TIME: 4:10 a.m. ET/1:10 a.m. PT