Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire will finally meet in their keenly-awaited rematch after serving up an instant classic back in 2019.
Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) retained his WBA and IBF titles against future Half of Famer Donaire but was cut and pushed all the way by the veteran Filipino.
The undefeated Japanese hero has gone back to demonstrating his shuddering knockout power with three subsequent wins inside the distance, although Donaire has also been in scintillating form.
Now 39, Donaire stopped the previously undefeated Reymart Gaballo in four last December to retain the WBC title and add further lustre to a truly mouthwatering return clash.
The Sporting News is following the fight live, providing updates, highlights and commentary below.
MORE: Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2 odds, betting trends, predictions, expert picks for 2022 bantamweight title fight
Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2 live results, updates
9:00 p.m JST/ 8:00 a.m EST: Donaire is now 39 and still enjoying an incredible renaissance back down at bantamweight. After pushing Inoue to the limit and taking in an enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemic, Donaire won the WBC title against Nordine Oubaali and defended it against Reymart Gaballo in 2021, with both wins coming via fourth-round stoppages.
Those stand as more impressive victories than each of Inoue’s outings against Aran Dipaen and Michael Dasmarinas last year, although an October 2020 triumph in seven rounds over Jason Moloney was another statement performance from ‘The Monster’.
8:45 p.m JST/ 7:45 a.m EST: The smart money would have to be on an Inoue stoppage, with the 29-year-old having won 19 of his 22 professional contests. Age could also be a factor for the veteran Donaire. However, all that was true back in November 2019, when Inoue had to blast his way through a Donaire storm to retain his titles on points.
8:35 p.m JST/ 7:35 a.m EST: That’s it with the undercard. Pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue and Filipino great Nonito Donaire are ready to do it all again next. Wherever you’re watching in the world – settling in for lunch in the UK, pouring a morning coffee on the east coast – it’s best to grab the popcorn for this one.
Poured it on him 🥶@Andy_H888 x #InoueDonaire2 pic.twitter.com/D4j9K86HQV
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 7, 2022
Andy Hiraoka stops Shun Akaiwa in round six
Switch on he did! Hiraoka landed a huge right hand to stun Akaiwa, with his opponent unable to escape the follow-up barrage, where another overhand right was particularly eye-catching. The referee made a timely stoppage and Hiraoka can now look towards challenging for world honours with his 20-0 record. There are rough edges to smooth out before he gets there after what was an unusual performance at times. The finish was clinically impressive, though.
8:26 p.m JST/ 7:26 a.m EST: Interesting fifth round in our chief support. Hiraoka has been loading up a fair bit, looking for the showreel knockout to go with his flashy approach. But Akaiwa came out in a southpaw stance in the previous session and caused a fair few problems. The favourite certainly needs to switch on.
8:15 p.m JST/ 7:15 a.m EST: Hiraoka enjoying himself here. He went through a little bit of showboating at the end of round two after dropping Akaiwa with a crisp left uppercut in the first. Hiraoka has a jerky, hands-down style and Akaiwa is finding that a tricky puzzle to solve.
Down goes Akaiwa! 😦@Andy_H888 x #InoueDonaire2 pic.twitter.com/aWRMsE32JC
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 7, 2022
8:05 p.m JST/ 7:05 a.m EST: Our undercard action continues with 140lbs prospect Andy Hiraoka. He’s 19-0 but had a bit of a sinker in his previous bout, winning via a 10th-round stoppage but given unforeseen problems by journeyman Cristiano Aoqui. Hiraoka’s 10-rounder against Shun Akaiwa is underway after the, ahem, interesting decision to ringwalk to ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ by R Kelly.
Takuma Inoue wins unanimous decision over Gakuya Furuhashi
Anyone catching up on Boxrec later will be forgiven for rolling their eyes at the younger brother of the headline fighter winning a wide 12-round decision on the undercard, but that was a very watchable 36 minutes. It was a little strange to see Takuma Inoue displaying so many facets of his elder sibling’s game but without the KO power. If he’d had that, Furuhashi would not have been able to absorb such a relentless stream of uppercuts. Inoue moves on to 16-1 (3 KOs), with the battling Furuhashi’s career record now standing at 28-9-2.
7:35 p.m JST/ 6:35 a.m EST: Into the championship rounds now and don’t expect the established terms to alter at this stage. The quality work continues to come from Takuma Inoue but not to the extent that it will dissuade Furuhashi, who keeps ploughing forward.
7:20 p.m JST/ 6:20 a.m EST: There were some better moments for Furuhashi in rounds four and five but, at the halfway stage, the main story of this bout is the incredible volume of Inoue uppercuts he’s eating up. Furuhashi keeps coming forward, though, and if Inoue’s punches aren’t having an impact then his relentless pressure could turn the tide. Nevertheless, Inoue must be way up on the cards.
Those uppercuts 😳@TakumaInoue_122 | #InoueDonaire2 pic.twitter.com/owMPRysXRV
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 7, 2022
7:09 p.m JST/ 6:09 a.m EST: Takuma Inoue suffered the only defeat of his career to date on the undercard of the initial Inoue-Donaire encounter, dropping a points decision to Nordine Oubaali in a challenge for the WBC bantamweight title. A rebounding Donaire beat Oubaali in his first defence, so that loss for Inoue Jr is not an insignificant part of the story when it comes to today’s three-belt unification.
Takuma Inoue is putting together some impressive work here, with Furuhashi’s come-forward style leaving him exposed to punishing hooks and uppercuts. Round three was big for Inoue and it’s hard to see this one going the 12-round distance if the action continues in this manner, even allowing for the fact that Inoue does not share his older brother’s knockout pedigree.
6:52 p.m JST/ 5:52 a.m EST: Inoue is making his way to the ring. Calm down, don’t spill your coffee or beverage of choice… it’s the main man’s younger brother Takuma Inoue. He’s fighting compatriot Gakuya Furuhashi and putting his WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight title on the line. Furuhashi’s Japanese bantamweight title is also up for grabs.
6:40 p.m JST/ 5:40 a.m EST: On Top Rank’s buildup show, they’re reviewing the sensational initial meeting between Inoue and Donaire. Why not enjoy the whole thing just below?
6:20 p.m JST/ 5:20 a.m EST: Before the first bell when the pair met at the same Saitama venue in November 2019, it was hard to envisage anything other than an Inoue rout. ‘The Monster’ had blasted his way through the 118lbs division with his shuddering power and Donaire had taken the eyebrow-raising decision to step down from featherweight a year earlier despite his veteran status. Inoue got the job done but he had to come through heavy weather as he was hurt and suffered facial damage. What’s more, the action was sensational throughout. Let’s hope they pick up where they left off.
6:00 p.m JST/ 5:00 a.m EST: Hello and welcome of our live coverage of Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2. The keenly anticipated rematch of their 2019 classic is around three hours away. Inoue’s WBA and IBF belts will be on the line once again, with Donaire also bringing the WBC crown to the table.
Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2 start time
- Date: Tuesday, June 7
- Start time: 5:30 a.m. ET | 10:30 a.m. BST
- Main event: 8 a.m. ET | 1 p.m. BST (Approximately)
Inoue vs. Donaire 2 takes place at the Saitama’s Super Arena. Event coverage begins at around 5:30 a.m. ET. Inoue and Donaire should make their way to the ring around 7:30 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2
- TV channel: ESPN+, YouTube
The Inoue vs. Donaire 2 main card will air on ESPN+.
Top Rank will show the bout on their YouTube channel in the U.K.
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2 fight card
- Naoya Inoue (c) vs. Nonito Doniare (c) for the WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, and The Ring bantamweight titles
- Takuma Inoue bt Gakuya Furuhashi UD (12) to retain his WBO Asia Pacific super-bantamweight title and win the Japanese super-bantamweight title.
- Andy Hiraoka vs. Shun Akaiwa; super-lightweights
- Toshiya Ishii bt. Hikaru Fukunaga TKO (6/8) super-bantamweight contest
- Kanamu Sakama bt. Fuki Ishigaki TKO (2/6) light-flyweight contest
