The Monster returns: Naoya Inoue fights Luis Nery

Particulars: This May 6^th from the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan…a Monday with a main event start time of between 3-4 a.m. PDT, 6-7 a.m. Eastern…it’s Monster Inoue vs. Luis ‘Pantera’ Nery, Super Bantamweights. (Be sure to check for updates to the main event ring walk times if you plan on watching live!)

Background: Monster Inoue is in good with other monsters. I mean – Godzilla? Come on. That mutant, custom, dinosaur in a cozy retirement under the sea, tuned in to watch Inoue vs. Fulton (Inoue’s best win) and said - ā sō desu ka, “is that so?”

Yes, that is so. 26 dudes climbed into rings – mainly in Japan – against mild-looking Inoue, and 23 found themselves unconscious. The three survivors also lost badly.

I’ ’d like to think I have the quickest eyes in boxing and no ego. Maybe it’s because I’ve watched for so many years, but I seem to see the bottom line in a boxing match, pretty quickly. 

Naoya looked like his brilliant self vs. Stephen Fulton. A guy who was sure to beat the Monster, ‘expose’ him, bring the belts back to the USA. A guy whose speed would offset Monster’s power. A guy with Philly boxing credentials – qualifications worth more than an incredible career by some dude from Japan. What could Japan offer to boxing that Philly couldn’t beat down?

Inoue was far faster than Fulton. Fulton, indeed highly skilled, was easily out-sped, out-boxed, and ultimately crushed by Inoue’s monstrous power. There wasn’t a facet of his game that wasn’t trumped by Inoue. Get it straight: Fulton used up his Philly privileges. Inoue flunked Fulton and his credentials.

Fulton – sigh - said it was more about what he didn’t do than what Naoya did do. Classless. Yeah, Stephen. What you didn’t do was remain conscious. On leaving the ring, Fulton woke up somewhat to the requirements of sportsmanship, when thousands in the Japanese crowd rose to applaud him as he left the ring. Many warm handshakes followed from a crowd thrilled by Fulton’s courage. Fulton smiled and softened at this display of warmth–finally.

Then Inoue took on a more respectful, and to my surprise, a much better opponent, Marlon Tapales. Hey – Fulton is highly skilled, no selling him short. But Tapales, while maybe less text book, had his own excellent technique and far better timing. He finally succumbed to the Inoue’s power but had many meaningful moments and won some rounds clearly.

My notes from the Tapales scrap reflect what my “fast eyes,” told me: Either Inoue, 30, had slipped, or Tapales was Kryptonite, or it was an off night for the Yokohama star. Or all three. No sooner had the fight finished, than Inoue said “the pieces of the puzzle hadn’t clicked in” with Tapales. What my fast eyes saw was confirmed by the combatant. 

The first thing to slip for a great fighter is foot speed. The legs start to go. It happened to Ali, to Mike Tyson…it happens to them all if they hang around long enough. Inoue’s feet versus Tapales – in direct comparison with his dazzling form vs. Fulton, were much slower. 

Enter Luis Esteban Nery Hernandez, a mainly unsmiling dude from Tijuana. If Inoue has lost a step, he could be in deep vs. Nery. However, Nery has lost by KO. I think another slow-footed night by Inoue might be bad news in his future – but he will probably still defeat Nery. 

Fighters Grades:

Naoya Inoue: A A B B B- A B+ (B+ 3.5)

Luis Nery: B B+ B- B- B- A B+ (B 3.1)

Reality Check: Neri is a weird, mixed bag. Let’s get it straight – he’s a damn good fighter. Here’s what I’ve seen, good, bad, and strange:

. Wings roundhouse punches – which is odd for a guy at this level. Such blows can be timed. Negative.

. Still manages to get his roundhouse punches through, fight after fight! Positive.

. Moves forward awkwardly and at times, poorly. Negative.

. Side-to-side and backward movement is excellent. Positive.

. Slow punches. Negative. Quick punches, positive.

. Hit far too often, strong negative.

. Also exhibits strong ‘D’ at times and can absorb big blows. Strong positives.

Weird: Nery, in his excellent fight vs. Hovhannisyan, showed a super wide, bizarre stance, but at other times a narrow stance. I’ve discovered that he seems to be a master of all stances. But changing them this often is sure not something you see often, outside of the MMA. In the Hovhannisyan fight, Neri fought with more style changes that I can recall seeing in years, or ever, and stopped his Armenian opponent, a good boxer, who’d never been halted previously.

The issue for Luis is the same thing that plagued Shane Mosely. Good as he was, Shane was “there to be hit,” as a famous publication said. As is southpaw Neri. Neri can’t walk through Inoue’s fire, I don’t think.

I’m hoping that Inoue, now 31, is once again fleet of foot. If his legs are beginning to go, blame Covid for stealing some of his best time from him – and in turn, we fans. And as I’ve always said, letting the badly wounded, staggered, Nonito Donaire off the hook via good sportsmanship was a mistake as Inoue went on to suffer horrendous injuries – but still managed to win. Multiple orbital bone fractures can never just be shaken off, says me – admittedly, no doctor. (I’m speaking of the first fight with Donaire, of course.)

I don’t agree with U.S. pundits, seemingly jealous of The Monster, suddenly saying he’s got to come to the USA to be ‘approved’ as the real Pound-for-Pound. Has some promoter said if he does, he’ll give Naoya a 30-million-dollar bag? Nope. While coming to the USA again (he’s fought in California and Vegas in fact) would boost his popularity, I don’t see it translating to a Jordan or Floyd-like fame. It’s prize fighting and he should come if offered a very big prize. I don’t think there’d be a tie-in with Godzilla either, but you never know. For those that wonder – will he go to Featherweight? Hmmm. Big jump and I’ll say, ‘no.’

Fight and Prediction: Inoue has too much of everything for Nery, a fearless competitor who put the ‘C’ in craftsman. But I’ll put Inoue’s art and talents ahead of Nery’s craftsmanship.

Naoya Inoue TKO Luis Nery, 9-11.