- Takuma Inoue defends his WBC bantamweight title against Kazuto Ioka in the co-main of Inoue–Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday
- Ioka, already a four-weight world champion, can become the first Japanese fighter ever to win world titles in five divisions
- Luke's pick: Takuma takes a clear unanimous decision, but Ioka's experience makes this far more competitive than the casuals expect
Right then, let's talk about the fight that everyone is going to be ignoring for entirely the wrong reasons. The world's eyes are on the Naoya Inoue versus Junto Nakatani main event at the Tokyo Dome on Saturday — and rightly so. But make no mistake, the co-main event is one of the most historically significant fights of the year. Takuma Inoue defending his WBC bantamweight title against Kazuto Ioka, with Ioka chasing a piece of history nobody Japanese has ever managed.
Five-weight world champion. That's what Ioka is going for. If the 37-year-old beats Takuma at the Tokyo Dome, he becomes the first Japanese fighter ever to win world titles in five different divisions. That is not a stat to scroll past — that is the kind of achievement that puts a man in the conversation with the all-time greats of the Japanese ring.
Takuma Inoue Steps Out Of The Shadow
Let's not beat around the bush — Takuma has spent his entire professional career being introduced as Naoya's brother. That stops mattering on Saturday. This is his first WBC bantamweight title defence on the biggest stage Japanese boxing has ever produced, and the kid is fighting in front of over 55,000 people at the Tokyo Dome. The pressure is total.
Takuma is 21-1 with five knockouts, a slick technician with proper footwork and an underrated jab. He's not the puncher his brother is — and I doubt anyone in this division ever will be — but he's a smart, disciplined fighter who picks shots well and times his counters beautifully. Against Ioka, that timing is going to be tested.
Ioka — A Legend Going For History
Ioka is a four-weight world champion already. Strawweight, light flyweight, flyweight, super flyweight. He's been doing this since 2011, and at 37 he has every reason to be slowing down. The thing is, he isn't. His debut at bantamweight earlier this year showed he's adapted well to the extra weight — his timing is still elite, his ring IQ remains brilliant, and he genuinely believes he can pull this off.
I'll tell you what though — going up two divisions at his age is brutal. Bantamweight is a different sport from where Ioka built his legacy. The shots feel different. The bodies feel different. He'll know that better than anyone, and the adjustment is the whole story of this fight.
The Prediction
Here's where I plant my flag. Ioka has the IQ. Ioka has the experience. Ioka has the legend status motivating him. But Takuma is the bigger, fresher, sharper man, and at the Tokyo Dome with the home crowd — minus what's likely a 55,000-1 split between the two main-event guys — he's not losing this fight. I'm taking Takuma Inoue by clear unanimous decision, scoring something like 117-111. He'll edge the early rounds with the jab, take the middle rounds with body work, and close strong.
If Ioka wins, this is a top-three story of the year in world boxing. A four-weight champ becoming the first Japanese five-weight world champion at the Tokyo Dome on the brother of the world's pound-for-pound number one's undercard? Absolutely brilliant scripting. But I just don't see it. Takuma announces himself properly on Saturday.
Either way, do yourself a favour: tune in early, do not skip the co-main. If you know, you know.