TOKYO – Naoya Inoue retained his undisputed super bantamweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over Murodjon Akhmadaliev on Monday at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. The judges scored the bout 117-111, 118-110, and 118-110 in favor of Inoue, who demonstrated a masterful performance against the previously undefeated Uzbek challenger.
The win silenced critics who questioned Inoue’s willingness to face Akhmadaliev (14-2, 11 kos). Inoue (now 25-0, 22 KOs) controlled the fight with superior speed and strategic boxing, countering Akhmadaliev effectively throughout the majority of the contest.
“We saw tonight what a complete fighter Inoue has become,” said Inoue’s co-promoter bob Arum.”Not only a great puncher but [also] great strategy, [and] great footwork. That’s what the real all-time greats have, and Inoue demonstrated that tonight.”
inoue dictated the pace from the opening bell, consistently beating Akhmadaliev to the punch. While Akhmadaliev arguably won a few rounds in the second half, Inoue remained comfortable, weathering a late rally that included a momentarily wobbling right hook in the final 15 seconds of the fight.
The victory showcased Inoue’s versatility, proving he is not solely a knockout artist but a highly skilled technician.
In other results from the card:
* Christian Medina (26-4, 19 KOs) defeated Yoshiki Takei (11-1, 9 KOs) via fourth-round TKO to capture the WBO bantamweight title. Medina floored Takei in the first round and finished the fight with a barrage of right uppercuts.
* Ryusei Matsumoto (7-0, 4 KOs) won the WBA minimumweight title by unanimous technical decision (50-46, 50-45, 50-45) over Yuni Takada (16-9-3, 3 KOs). Takada was rendered unconscious by a clash of heads in the fifth round and was stretchered from the arena, later regaining consciousness backstage.