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The first match almost three years ago was a classic fight. Naoya Inoue beat Nonito Donaire brutally to win their eagerly awaited rematch via a spectacular second-round knockout. The rematch was a classic performance by the most exciting boxer today. Check out the Best Bookmakers for betting on Boxing!
Inoue, the Pound-for-Pound superstar, moves to 23-0 (20KOs) and adds the WBC bantamweight crown to his WBA and IBF crowns.
Donaire, a future Hall of Famer, pushed Inoue to the limit when they shared 12 intense rounds in November 2019. However, Donaire could not respond after being decked at the end of the opening round on Tuesday at the Saitama Super Arena.
When the action resumed, Inoue was operating in a chillingly-clinical manner. Referee Michael Griffin saved Donaire when Donaire hit the canvas again after 84 seconds. Griffin did an outstanding job and stopped the fight at the right moment.
The 39-year-old Donaire could be retiring after a remarkable career in lighter weights. He has won four world titles in these divisions. He can be sure that he was beaten by an exceptional talent, one of the best fighters in the world today, and if those are his final acts in a fight, he went out on his shield.
Donaire stood his ground with Inoue and showed his usual courage, but Inoue is called a Monster for a reason and today showed the entire world why.
A case can be made that Inoue is pound for pound the best fighter in Boxing. The Bantamweight division is not one of the best in Boxing, and lack of competition has hurt Inoue, but maybe, it’s not a lack of competition; perhaps we are just in the middle of an all-time great career!
Inoue is must-see TV even on a Tuesday morning; any Boxing fan would be crazy not to watch the Monster fight. Seek and destroy is the best way to describe Inoue, and I do not know where he goes from here, but wherever he heads next, I feel sorry for the fighter standing in the opposite corner.
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