You’ve heard of red-eye flights, now get ready to catch a red-eye fight this Thursday morning. Or is it Wednesday night? Naoya “The Monster” Inoue will meet Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire in Saitama, Japan on November 7th, in a fight that has a 2 a.m. PST ring-walk. Pour yourself an energy drink or nice Japanese whiskey because you don’t want to miss this one.
Up for grabs are the IBF and WBO bantamweight titles, as well as the Muhammad Ali bantamweight trophy per the World Boxing Super Series. That’s a lot of hardware for the winner to take home. And why not, it’s the “Crazy Rich Asians” of boxing, showcasing two Asian global stars of the sport. Shout out to on-screen representation, whether it be in Hollywood or in a boxing ring.
“The Monster’s” reign of terror
Japan’s Naoya Inoue (18-0) has earned the nickname “Monster” because the IBF bantamweight champion has been on a rampage since debuting in 2012. In just 18 fights, Inoue, 26, has established himself as a legitimate top 10 P4P fighter with world titles in three different weight classes, and many believe that he’s only scratched the surface of his potential because he hasn’t been really challenged.
Inoue’s 89% KO ratio should speak for itself. But it doesn’t tell the whole story of what he does to his opponents. While he possesses superhuman punching power only rivaled pound-for-pound by Deontay Wilder, Gervonta Davis and Artur Beterbiev, Inoue doesn’t just knock fools out cold. He’s mastered the lost boxing art of bodywork, particularly the liver punch, which he’s used to devastating effect. Inoue’s opponents are more likely to keel over in a broken heap from their innards imploding. Terrifying.
Donaire plays Van Helsing in Japan
In his hey-day, Nonito Donaire was the second most famous Asian boxers in the world (behind Manny Pacquiao) and one of boxing’s most feared fighters. The 36-year-old Filipino-American is a four-division world champion and the 2012 Fighter of the Year. His KO’s of Vic Darchinyan and Fernando Montiel netted him a pair of Knock of the Year awards.
Unfortunately, that version of Donaire was last seen over half a decade ago. If he hopes to stand a puncher’s chance against Inoue, he needs to channel the lightning-fast speed and destructive power he once possessed to have a fighting chance, which he did against journeyman Stephon Young last April.
It’s an Inoue family reunion
There’s an Inoue in every bout on this two-fight card. “The Monster’s” younger brother, Takuma Inoue (13-0) is a formidable bantamweight himself and will be fighting world champion Nordine Oubaali (16-0) for the Frenchman’s WBC title.
How to watch
Get in your most comfortable pair of jammies and tune into DAZN at 2 a.m. PST (5 a.m. EST) on Thursday, Nov. 7th to see a living legend fight a future all-time great.
Who Ya Got?
Inoue is the better, younger fighter at this stage in Donaire’s illustrious career. The Japanese annihilator promised not to chase a knockout, but you’re better off donating to charity than betting on the fight going 12 rounds. Prediction: Inoue KO in round three.
