'Smart' Inoue beats Akhmadaliev by unanimous decision / Photo: STR - JIJI Press/AFP
'Smart' Inoue beats Akhmadaliev by unanimous decision
Japan's Naoya Inoue gave a masterclass of technical boxing to beat Uzbekistan's Murodjon Akhmadaliev by unaminous decision on Sunday and retain his undisputed super bantamweight world titles.
The unbeaten Inoue gradually picked off a fighter who had been described as the most dangerous opponent of his career to finish the final round in Nagoya in complete control.
Inoue's pinpoint accuracy and elusive movement were on full display as he took his career record to 31-0, with 27 wins by knockout.
The 32-year-old, nicknamed "Monster", said he "proved I can fight smart if I want to".
"I'm not sure how this fight would have turned out if I had fought it the way he wanted to fight it in the first round," said Inoue, who told the crowd that his next bout would be in Saudi Arabia in December.
"My team put together a great fight plan focusing on my technique and speed, and that's what delivered the result."
Inoue did not manage to knock down Akhmadaliev, a former two-belt super bantamweight world champion, over the course of 12 rounds.
"Of course I wanted to knock him down but I managed to suppress that feeling and I got the decision," said Inoue.
"If I had really gone for it from the middle rounds then I think it might have been a different result."
Fighting just hours after Terence Crawford shocked Canelo Alvarez to claim the undisputed super middleweight world title in Las Vegas, Inoue set out to reaffirm his credentials as one of boxing's best pound-for-pound fighters.
He went into the match having been knocked down in two of his previous four fights, the only times he had been sent to the canvas in his career.
- Inoue in control -
Both fighters made a cagey start, with Inoue looking more cautious than normal.
The Japanese fighter landed more big punches as the fight moved into the middle rounds, with Akhmadaliev also beginning to let his fists fly.
The gap between the fighters began to widen as the fight progressed, with Inoue taking control and landing some concussive shots to his opponent.
Inoue paid tribute to Akhmadaliev, who won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics in a competition that saw American Shakur Stevenson take the silver medal.
"I was really motivated for this fight," said Inoue.
"I had to really train for this fight and it was because he is so good that I was able to perform as I did today."
Mexico's Christian Medina stopped Japan's Yoshiki Takei in the fourth round to claim the WBO bantamweight world title.
A match on the undercard was stopped in the fifth round when one fighter was seriously injured by an accidental headbutt.
Yuni Takada was unable to stand and was quickly taken out of the ring on a stretcher after the unintentional blow from Ryusei Matsumoto.
The latest incident comes at a time when Japanese boxing is facing huge pressure after two fighters died last month.
The head of the Japan Boxing Commission said the sport in the country was at "at a crucial moment" and could cease to exist if it does not radically improve safety.
Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought on the same card at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall on August 2 and died days later following brain surgery.
P.Fischer--BVZ
