[46 Wins]

A unification of the 118lb WBA, IBF & WBC World titles and rematch of the 2019 WBSS final went down yesterday in the Saitama Arena, Japan.

The last fight was close and competitive with both men hitting the canvas producing a FOTY contender. But this time The Monster left nothing to chance. Dropping Donaire at the end of the first round, Inoue was on him again at the start of the second, there were some great exchanges but Inoue's punch resistance clearly better at this point, Donaire eventually fell again after taking some heavy unanswered shots and the referee decided that there was no need to administer the count.

TR had made the full fight card available to UK and IRE viewers on YT, that's where I watched it yesterday but they've removed it now so all I can find are the official highlights to share. Just one more belt on the road to undisputed for the Japanese sensation.

 

[gumbo2176]

Saw the highlights on the net yesterday and Inoue definitely has explosive punching power. The first right on the temple set the mood for the fight and those follow-up left hooks by Inoue in the next round were just the icing on the cake to win by brutal KO against a very good opponent in Nonito Donaire.

 

[46 Wins]

Saw the highlights on the net yesterday and Inoue definitely has explosive punching power. The first right on the temple set the mood for the fight and those follow-up left hooks by Inoue in the next round were just the icing on the cake to win by brutal KO against a very good opponent in Nonito Donaire.

The words of Donaire in the immediate aftermath

“When I got hit, I didn’t even know I got dropped,” Donaire confessed during a bonus post-fight installment on his Beyond The Ring with Nonito and Rachel YouTube channel. “I didn’t see that punch because I was trying to counter him and got caught. That was pretty much it.

“I will pretty much say that was the hardest punch I’ve ever been hit with. That first (knockdown), I came up completely blank. I didn’t see that punch coming at all.

“I didn’t even know what happened. I was trying to counter. All of a sudden I was on the floor and (referee Michael Griffin) was counting me. I was like ‘What is happening? Are you kidding me?’ Then I looked in the corner and Rach(el Donaire, Nonito’s wife/trainer/manager) said, ‘Put your hands up or he’ll count you out.’ And I’m like ‘Oh sh!t, I got dropped!’”

That's it now I hope, Donaire has been a great servant to the sport but it's time he moved on to something else to occupy his time, maybe take up training others if he doesn't want to say bye to boxing.

 

[gumbo2176]

The words of Donaire in the immediate aftermath

“When I got hit, I didn’t even know I got dropped,” Donaire confessed during a bonus post-fight installment on his Beyond The Ring with Nonito and Rachel YouTube channel. “I didn’t see that punch because I was trying to counter him and got caught. That was pretty much it.

“I will pretty much say that was the hardest punch I’ve ever been hit with. That first (knockdown), I came up completely blank. I didn’t see that punch coming at all.

“I didn’t even know what happened. I was trying to counter. All of a sudden I was on the floor and (referee Michael Griffin) was counting me. I was like ‘What is happening? Are you kidding me?’ Then I looked in the corner and Rach(el Donaire, Nonito’s wife/trainer/manager) said, ‘Put your hands up or he’ll count you out.’ And I’m like ‘Oh sh!t, I got dropped!’”

That's it now I hope, Donaire has been a great servant to the sport but it's time he moved on to something else to occupy his time, maybe take up training others if he doesn't want to say bye to boxing.

Thanks for posting parts of his interview after the fight. You could tell from the video he didn't see, or expect that first right that stunned him.

He just ran into a guy who's just like him, only 10 years younger and in the prime of his career. Donaire has always been known as a guy who carries a good punch into the ring. He just ran into a younger, better version of himself in the ring and paid the price.

I agree, a guy his age (39) fighting at that weight is past his retirement date for the most part. Those smaller guys tend to wear out faster than the bigger guys in the fight game. Nothing is sadder to see than a boxer hanging around too long and suffering losses at the end of his career.

 

[ThatBoxingGuy2022]

Inoue is so explosive its scary, hes so patient which makes his shots even more devastating as he picks his shots perfectly

We need to enjoy the ride we are watching someone special

 

[46 Wins]

The WBO World Bantamweight champion has spoken. Paul Butler (34-2) says he wants the Inoue fight following his destruction of Nonito Donaire yesterday. If I'm honest he doesn't sound too convincing but at least he's saying the right thing, perhaps he means it we'll see. If you don't know who Butler is he was KO'd by Zolani Tete and elevated to full world champion after petitioning the WBO to strip John Riel Casimero

 

[Barack Obama]

For those who doubted Inoue was for real, let this be a wake up call.

 

[gumbo2176]

For those who doubted Inoue was for real, let this be a wake up call.

The guy is 23-0 with 20 KO wins and has been a world champion since his 6th fight. It would take an idiot to not think this guy is for real.