Inoue-Donaire 2 to air on ESPN+ on June 7
The ESPN+ broadcast will feature two undercard bouts, as well.
Not a surprise, but very much welcome. Top Rank has revealed that Naoya Inoue’s June 7th rematch with Nonito Donaire will air on ESPN+ stateside.
Two Champs. Two Legends.
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 17, 2022
One epic #InoueDonaire2 pic.twitter.com/FbgATjAKPL
Inoue (22-0, 19 KO) and Donaire (42-6, 28 KO) put on a truly spectacular Fight of the Year in November 2019. “The Filipino Flash” was seen as past his best and the recipient of some favorable strokes of luck en route to the WBSS finals, but he smashed “The Monster’s” orbital and gave him hell from bell to bell.
He’s more than earned this rematch, too. Though assorted issues kept him out of action for the next year and a half, he needed just eight combined rounds to score no-T-required KOs of Nordine Oubaali and Reymart Gaballo.
Inoue, for his part, has been his usual destructive self in wins over the overmatched Jason Moloney, Michael Dasmarinas, and Aran Dipaen. This is a welcome return to elite competition for him, and the winner has a real chance of meeting Paul Butler for undisputed glory at some point.
The undercard, which kicks off at 5:00 AM ET, features two previously revealed bouts: Takuma Inoue (15-1, 3 KO) vs. Gakuya Furuhashi (28-8-2, 16 KO) and Andy Hiraoka (19-0, 14 KO) vs. Shun Aikawa (7-3-1, 5 KO).