Video: Watch the knockouts of Japanese phenom Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue
Super-flyweight boxing champion Naoya Inoue is making his US debut on September 9th. Watch the rising Japanese star’s sensational work in the ring.
On Saturday, September 9th, HBO Boxing will bring fans a stacked tripleheader simply known as “Superfly.” All three fights will feature elite competitors from the super-flyweight (115 lbs) division, which otherwise is rarely shown on US television. The main event is a rematch between WBC champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (43-4-1, 39 KOs) and Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (46-1, 38 KOs), who suffered a shock defeat to Rungvisai in March. Mexicans Juan Francisco Estrada (35-2, 25 KOs) and (36-1-1, 27 KOs) will open up the broadcast in what is slated to be a title eliminator to determine who fights the Rungvisai/Gonzalez winner.
What even casual boxing fans should look forward to is the co-main event, which will see WBO champion Naoya Inoue (13-0, 11 KOs) defend his title against heavy underdog Antonio Nieves (17-1-2, 9 KOs). The 24-year-old is an absolute whirlwind of offense with incredible power relative to his weight class. Known as “The Monster,” Inoue won the WBC junior flyweight title in his sixth pro fight, then moved up to super-flyweight and knocked out the once-dominant Omar Narvaez in just two rounds back in 2014. He is an incredible talent and may just become a name we see featured on US television more often down the line.
In the video below, check out the best work of Inoue, as well as an additional video featuring commentary by Bloody Elbow’s own Connor Ruebusch and Kyle MacLachlan on Inoue vs. Narvaez.
“Superfly” airs live on HBO at 10:15 PM ET from the StubHub Center in Carson, California.