Japanese boxing sensations Takuma Inoue and Tenshin Nasukawa are set for a highly anticipated rematch this Sunday, September 27, at Toyota Arena Tokyo in Japan. Inoue will put his WBC bantamweight title on the line against Nasukawa, who is eager to avenge his first career loss in professional boxing.
The two fighters initially clashed last November for the vacant WBC bantamweight belt, with Inoue securing a tough decision win over Nasukawa, the former kickboxing star. Since then, Inoue—brother to pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue—has successfully defended his title against Kazuto Ioka. Meanwhile, Nasukawa bounced back by defeating former two-division champ Juan Francisco Estrada in a WBC eliminator back in April, earning another shot at the championship.
The showdown is scheduled to begin at 3:30 a.m. ET, with the main event walkout around 7 a.m. ET. Fans in the U.S. can stream the entirety of the fight card live on DAZN, while viewers in Japan can watch via Prime Video.
In terms of betting odds, Inoue is favored to win again, listed at approximately -260, with Nasukawa as the underdog at about +200.
The undercard also features top-tier matchups, including former IBF bantamweight titlist Ryosuke Nishida facing Sam Goodman for the IBF interim super bantamweight crown—an important fight that could lead the winner to challenge undisputed champ Naoya Inoue. Additionally, two world title bouts are on the card: undefeated Tomoya Tsuboi battles Ricardo Malajika for the vacant WBC super flyweight title, and Ryusei Matsumoto faces Russell Acosta in an undefeated clash for the WBO interim strawweight belt. The card concludes with a featherweight fight between Hayato Aiko and Natsuki Kuramochi.
Full Fight Card:
– WBC bantamweight championship: Takuma Inoue (-260) vs. Tenshin Nasukawa (+200) — 12 rounds
– IBF interim super bantamweight championship: Ryosuke Nishida (-225) vs. Sam Goodman (+175) — 12 rounds
– WBC super flyweight championship: Tomoya Tsuboi (-450) vs. Ricardo Malajika (+325) — 12 rounds
– WBO interim strawweight championship: Ryusei Matsumoto vs. Russell Acosta — 12 rounds
– Featherweight: Hayato Aiko vs. Natsuki Kuramochi — 4 rounds
Fan Take: This rematch between Inoue and Nasukawa is more than just a title defense; it’s a defining moment that could elevate Nasukawa’s transition from kickboxing to boxing while solidifying Inoue’s reign. For fans of the sport, the event showcases the rising talent in Japanese boxing and has the potential to add thrilling chapters to the global boxing narrative.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
