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Undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue overcame an early knockdown to stop Mexico's Luis Nery in the sixth round of their title fight at Tokyo Dome on Monday. Inoue, now 27-0 with 24 knockouts, headlined the first boxing event at the venue since Mike Tyson's stunning loss to James “Buster“ Douglas in February 1990. The Japanese star extended his knockout streak to eight consecutive fights. The bout began with a surprise as Nery floored Inoue with a left hook midway through the first round, shocking the crowd. However, the 31-year-old “Monster“ quickly recovered, scoring a knockdown of his own in the second round and putting Nery on the canvas again in the fifth with a powerful left hand. Inoue sealed the victory in the sixth round with a crushing right to the head, trapping Nery in the corner and forcing the referee to stop the fight. Nery, 29, fell to 35-2 with 27 knockouts. “The knockout moment was great, but how about that first-round surprise?“ Inoue said afterward, referring to the unexpected knockdown. “I stayed calm and got back into the fight. My daily training prepared me for any situation, and I think the fans got what they came for. I'll aim to do the same in future fights.“ More than 40,000 tickets were sold in advance, with the highest-priced seats at 220,000 yen ($1,430), a testament to Inoue's immense popularity, as he is widely considered the greatest Japanese boxer in history. The match was broadcast globally, both on TV and via pay-per-view. Promoter Akihiko Honda of Teiken Gym expects the event to generate the highest ticket revenue ever for a boxing event in Japan. The atmosphere was electric as Inoue made his entrance to a live performance by rock guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei. Nery, who had previously stirred controversy in Japan with two contentious victories over local favorite Shinsuke Yamanaka, was met with boos upon entering the ring. His ban from fighting in Japan, imposed by the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) after he failed to make weight for his 2018 rematch with Yamanaka and tested positive for a banned substance the previous year, was lifted earlier this year, allowing him to challenge Inoue. Earlier in the day, former K-1 kickboxer Yoshiki Takei won the WBO bantamweight title by unanimous decision over Australia's Jason Moloney. Inoue's younger brother, Takuma Inoue, successfully defended his WBA bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Sho Ishida, and Seigo Yuri Akui retained his WBA flyweight title by outpointing Taku Kuwahara unanimously.
