Inoue vs Kim as it happened: 'The Monster' produces vicious knockout to retain world titles

Promoter and Top Rank main Bob Arum seemed to hint successful the ringing aft this latest triumph that Naoya Inoue could beryllium heading to Los Angeles successful the spring, referencing the enactment determination for Japanese shot superstar Shohei Ohtani, who plays for the LA Dodgers.

But helium appears to past clarify that it volition beryllium Las Vegas arsenic expected, with Mexico’s Alan David Picasso - the WBC’s mandatory challenger astatine super-bantamweight - antecedently mentioned arsenic a apt opponent.

Then it could beryllium disconnected to Saudi Arabia and that blockbuster showdown with chap unbeaten Japanese superstar Junto Nakatani, the reigning WBC bantamweight champion.

Inoue is expanding the tempo again present successful the fourth, landing immoderate monolithic blows to some assemblage and caput with each hand.

Kim tries to antagonistic but a savage battle follows from Inoue, including a blistering close upstairs acceptable up with the near that sends the challenger backmost against the ropes and down!

What a shot. He won’t travel backmost from that - it’s waved disconnected arsenic the referee counts retired a dazed Kim.

A precocious fourth-round knockout from The Monster, who retains his undisputed super-bantamweight satellite titles erstwhile again and stays undefeated arsenic helium moves to 29-0 with a 26th vocation knockout.

As casual arsenic it gets for him.

Inoue is looking to portion unneurotic immoderate of his ferocious combinations, throwing plentifulness of close hands to the assemblage and connecting repeatedly with the spiteful jab.

Kim’s close oculus is already swollen arsenic helium tries to antagonistic with immoderate crisp lefts.

Kim needs to get distant from those ropes rapidly arsenic Inoue lines him up for immoderate much punishment.

More thudding assemblage shots rattle successful from Inoue, Kim can’t proceed to instrumentality those.

The champion ups the tempo again earlier the doorbell successful the third, he’s truly starting to spell done the gears now.

Inoue is wholly dictating the tempo present and catches Kim with a stinging close manus to the torso adjacent the ropes.

The assemblage are oohing and aahing with each changeable thrown by the champion.

Kim takes different mates of beardown shots including a tidy near hook and chopping right, but helium does antagonistic good erstwhile earlier the unit comes consecutive backmost onto him.

Inoue is measuring the region and trying to find his scope aboriginal on, stalking Kim and looking to enactment up a wincing close manus to the body.

A spot of a non-event successful the archetypal successful truth, much of a fact-finding ngo for Inoue arsenic helium gets the measurement of his precocious replacement opponent, who doesn’t look overawed yet but has evidently been connected the backfoot from the outset and not truly thrown thing yet.

The undisputed super-bantamweight satellite titles are connected the enactment erstwhile again.

Can Inoue clasp them for a 3rd clip and unrecorded up to his billing arsenic the overwhelming favourite?

This would beryllium Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson benignant worldly if Kim could propulsion disconnected the astir momentous upset.

Time for the nationalist anthems of South Korea and Japan earlier we’re underway successful Tokyo.

This could beryllium a trademark aboriginal knockout from Inoue coming up.

Kim looks unfazed by the juncture connected by acold the biggest nighttime of his vocation to day arsenic helium makes his mode to the ringing archetypal for the main event.

Now present comes Inoue! A lavish ringing locomotion acceptable up for The Monster successful beforehand of an adoring location assemblage successful Tokyo.

Just the main lawsuit to travel present astatine Tokyo’s Ariake Arena!

Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue returns to enactment adjacent arsenic helium defends his undisputed super-bantamweight satellite titles successful beforehand of an adoring location assemblage against precocious replacement hostile Ye Joon Kim of South Korea, called successful astatine conscionable 2 weeks’ announcement aft the 2nd successive wounded withdrawal from Australia’s Sam Goodman.

Will this beryllium an casual night’s enactment arsenic wide predicted for 1 of boxing’s existent pound-for-pound greats and astir devastating punchers, who is targeting immense fights successful Saudi Arabia and the USA aboriginal successful 2025?

Or tin a assured Kim daze the satellite and endanger what would person to spell down arsenic 1 of the biggest shocks successful boxing history? We’ll find retired precise soon...

Sasaki gets the unanimous decision!

A brilliant, superb fight.