When Naoya “Monster” Inoue and “The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire faced off the first time in 2019 the bout was a fight to remember. The old lion versus the young lion, and the bout went to the Japanese champion but it was a hard fight.
On June 7, they will meet again and this time Nonito Donaire on the verge of turning 40 wants to make history by beating the undefeated Japanese favorite at the same venue they fought the first time, the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Undefeated Naoya “Monster” Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) is easily rated in the top 5 pound for pound fighters in boxing. He holds an impressive record and at 29 years old he will be ten years younger than Donaire who at 39 has had a resurgence in boxing becoming the eldest bantamweight champion in history.
Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) has said before that Inoue is similar to him when he was younger and destroying top opponents with KO power.
The Filipino-American holds titles in four weight division from flyweight to featherweight. What makes Donaire special is at his advanced age he decided to comeback down in weight, usually a fighter outgrows the division and can no longer make lower weights but Donaire did it and went from 126 pounds back down to 118 pounds and became a champion twice.
The IBF and WBA belts of Inoue and the WBC green strap of Donaire are on the line, they are one short of undisputed but the winner wants to fight the WBO champion Paul Butler next for the king of the division.
Fight Card
Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire
Takuma Inoue vs. Gakuya Furuhashi
Andy Hiraoka vs. Shun Akaiwa
Toshiya Ishii vs. Hikaru Fukunaga
Kanamu Sakama vs. Fuki Ishigaki
Minori Okamura vs. Kota Matsuno
Chihiro Iwashita vs. Seiru Yamana
Venue: Super Area in Saitama, Japan
Promoter: Top Rank
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 5:30 am ET / 2:30 am PT
TV/Live Stream: ESPN+ in the USA, Sky Sports in the UK
