Naoya Inoue eyes Tokyo Dome glory more than three decades after Mike Tyson’s historic fall against 42-1 underdog Buster Douglas
Naoya Inoue and Mike Tyson are connected by way of the Tokyo Dome.
The iconic venue in Japan was the site of one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history, which Tyson was on the wrong side of. 'Iron' Mike sustained the first loss of his professional career against James 'Buster' Douglas and lost the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles via a tenth-round knockout.
In this same arena many years later, Inoue continues to build on his massive resume there in Q2 of 2024. Boxing journalist Michael Benson, via his personal X account @MichaelBensonn, said:
"Naoya Inoue vs Luis Nery for Inoue's undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO super-bantamweight world titles is set for May 6th at the Tokyo Dome, Bob Arum has now confirmed. First boxing at the 55,000+ capacity venue since Mike Tyson's defeat to Buster Douglas in 1990. [3 Knockdown Rule]"
Check out the post on the Inoue-Tyson connection to the Tokyo Dome below
Naoya Inoue: Monster in the ring and at the box office
Inoue is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters within the sweet science today.
'The Monster' is 26-0 as a professional pugilist and has scored twenty-three stoppage victories under Queensberry Rules.
The 30-year-old has cemented himself as a four-division world champion with a whole host of accolades. Inoue has been fighting in nothing but world title fights for the last decade. As evidenced by his aforementioned finishing rate, he is regarded by many as one of the most exciting fighters to watch nowadays.
Naoya Inoue has also become undisputed champion in two weight categories, a feat only shared by Terence Crawford in the four-belt era. Oleksandr Usyk could stand to do this in his upcoming undisputed heavyweight title clash with Tyson Fury, but the air is surely rarefied.
The Kanagawa native has fought at a whole host of acclaimed venues in Japan, such as Ariake Arena, Saitama Super Arena, Yokohama Arena, and Korakuen Hall.
This Luis Nery fight in May really represents how much of a massive star and proven talent Inoue has become, though. Inoue taking over the Tokyo Dome, which is a feat few promotional entities can say they did (ex/ Pride FC at the height of its powers ran the Dome), is a true feather in the cap for someone who is a national icon and generational talent for fervent fight fans in Japan.