The official weigh-in for the Top Rank event, scheduled to take place on May 4 (May 5 Japan time) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, was held in the same city. The event features a four-belt unification bout in the super bantamweight division. Undisputed champion Naoya Inoue (Ohashi Gym), with a record of 29 wins (26 KOs) and no losses, successfully made weight at 121.9 pounds.
“He looks very calm and well-prepared—that’s the impression I got.”
“I want to fight the way I always do. Just because it’s Las Vegas doesn’t mean I’ll change my approach. I’ll stay composed and fight as usual, without putting unnecessary pressure on myself. I’ll deliver the same performance I always show, as if I were fighting in Japan.”
Challenger Ramon Cardenas (USA), ranked No. 2 by the WBA (with the No. 1 spot vacant), No. 8 by the IBF, and No. 10 by the WBO in the super bantamweight division, successfully made weight at 121.8 pounds. He holds a record of 25 wins (14 KOs) and 1 loss.
If Inoue wins by knockout, it will mark his 25th consecutive victory in world title fights (23 by KO), surpassing the record of 22 KOs in world title bouts held by Joe Louis (USA), who defended the world heavyweight title 25 times. Louis last scored a KO in a world title fight in June 1948, meaning Inoue would break a record that has stood for nearly 77 years.
The WBO World Featherweight Title Match will be held as the co-main event.
Champion Rafael Espinoza (Mexico), with an undefeated record of 26 wins (22 KOs), successfully made weight at 125.4 pounds.
Challenger Edward Vazquez (USA), ranked No. 10 in the division, with a record of 17 wins (4 KOs), 2 losses, and 1 no contest, successfully made weight at 125.6 pounds.
In a 10-round featherweight bout, unbeaten OPBF Featherweight Champion Mikito Nakano (Teiken), ranked No. 8 by the IBF, No. 10 by the WBA and WBC, and No. 11 by the WBO, with a record of 12 wins (11 KOs), will face former NABO featherweight champion Pedro Marquez (Puerto Rico), who holds a record of 16 wins (10 KOs) and 1 loss.
Nakano, making his U.S. ring debut, successfully made weight at 125.9 pounds.
Marquez, currently on a 15-fight winning streak, successfully made weight at the 126-pound limit.
All eyes are on what kind of performance Nakano will deliver in Las Vegas. As this is a major opportunity to raise his profile on the road to his long-awaited world title shot, a strong showing is expected.
“Prime Video Boxing 12: Inoue Naoya in Las Vegas” is scheduled to stream live on Prime Video starting at 8:30 a.m. on May 5 (JST). Amazon Prime members in Japan can watch the live broadcast at no additional cost.
Will the WBO World Featherweight Title Match, held as the co-main event alongside Naoya Inoue, serve as a stage to appeal for a future showdown with Inoue later this year or beyond?
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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