Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani fight details set with pair to meet at scene of famous Mike Tyson upset

Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani will meet in an all-Japanese mega-fight with the bout finally confirmed.

Inoue and Nakatani have been linked to a huge showdown for several years, with the latter viewed as arguably the toughest potential challenger for ‘The Monster’.

Naoki Fukuda/Top Rank

The pair shared a fight card in May as Inoue cruised past Alan Picasso, but for Nakatani it was much more difficult as he narrowly edged Sebastian Hernandez in a dog-fight.

To many, Nakatani was a tad fortunate to get the nod, and it naturally plunged the future of the clash taking place into doubt.

Eagerly, the boxing community has still been waiting for an announcement nonetheless, for one of the biggest fights to get over the line.

And now it has finally been confirmed to take place on May 2, with all of the undisputed 122lbs marbles at stake.

The huge event is almost certain to be the biggest boxing event in Japanese history involving two domestic talents.

And it will be held at the iconic Tokyo Dome, a stadium in the Japanese capital that holds around 55,000 spectators.

It will the same scene set as the iconic upset inflicted on heavyweight icon Mike Tyson by Buster Douglas in February 1990.

Tyson was brutally knocked out for the first time in his career, losing his invincible streak and world title against a world renowned underdog in Douglas.

And now Nakatani will be looking to derail Inoue’s campaign as one of the modern era’s pound-for-pound greats.

Inoue and Nakatani – the fight boxing wants to see

In a world where the quality of fights is not always at a premium, Inoue vs Nakatani is a truly captivating spectacle.

AFP

Despite Nakatani’s shortcomings in his last outing against a rugged and resillient Hernandez, he will hope that he can put on the display of a lifetime.

Inoue is technically spotless, an elite operator, and ‘Big Bang’ will need to use his trademark power to try and make a dent in the relentless machine.

And the champion’s comments come with a more worrying warning, insisting he is the most motivated he has been in a long while.

He confirmed: “[I will] be going head-to-head with Junto Nakatani at Tokyo Dome in May this year.

“I’m highly motivated for the first time in a while.

“I will train hard and I am looking forward to being in top shape for this fight.”

Nakatani himself knows he has a big task on his hands.

He added: “He is the best fighter in the world, so I need to be in top condition to fight him.”

Boxing schedule

For all the upcoming fights and results this year, check out talkSPORT.com’s boxing schedule.