‘Monster’ Boxer Naoya Inoue Sets Up May Title Clash at Tokyo Dome; World Super Bantamweight Champ to Take on Luis Nery of Mexico

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:39 JST, March 6, 2024

Tokyo Dome once rocked from the exploits of “Godzilla,” aka former Yomiuri Giants slugger Hideki Matsui. In May, it will be the setting for “Monster.”

Undisputed super bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue will put his unified titles on the line against former world champion Luis Nery of Mexico on May 6 at Tokyo Dome, it was announced Wednesday.

“The motivation is incredibly high,” the undefeated Inoue, nicknamed “Monster,” said at a press conference in Tokyo. “To face a powerful opponent like Luiz Nery, I’m going to have to be on the ball. I’ll have to prepare like I’ve never prepared before. It’s going to be an intense fight.”

The fight will be the first at Tokyo Dome since James “Buster” Douglas scored one of the greatest upsets in boxing history by stopping Mike Tyson in February 1990. It will mark the first time that a Japanese boxer will be in the main event.

Nery is not unknown to Japanese fans. In 2018, he infamously came in well over weight for a title fight against Japan’s Shinsuke Yamanaka that led to him being stripped of his world title.

Inoue, 30, has a 26-0 record with 23 knockouts. He holds the super bantamweight belts from all four global boxing organizations — the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO. Nery is 35-1 with 27 knockouts.