Naoya Inoue, the 55 kg “monster” who rekindles Japan’s passion for boxing

Eight rounds and a knockout to polish his legend. By defeating American Ramon Cardenas on Sunday, May 4, at the famous T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (United States), Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue retained his unified super-bantamweight (under 55 kg) title and, in doing so, preserved his impressive unbeaten record: 30 wins in as many professional fights, including 27 before the end.

"He once again showed the destructive power of his jab [a straight punch with the front arm, the left, for Inoue, who is right-handed]. It's not a simple jab, but a blow that has the force of a straight, and as soon as it starts to land, the smell of a knockout hangs in the air. American fans understood why he was nicknamed "The Monster"," enthused former WBC bantamweight world champion Shinsuke Yamanaka after the match in the daily Sports Hochi .

That night, Ramon Cardenas was tough and offensive. However, he didn't really manage to make his opponent doubt himself. " Courage alone isn't enough against Inoue," summed up Shinsuke Yamanaka. The Texan can still boast of having briefly knocked him down in the second round, something that had never happened before. "I was very surprised, but I took things calmly and pulled myself together," the Japanese said afterwards.

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