Naoya Inoue vs Ramon Cardenas delivers as expected as fans got to witness the thrill of a back and forth fight!
The boxing world watched with bated breath as Naoya Inoue defended his undisputed super bantamweight championship against Ramon Cardenas in Las Vegas in the third and final event of the Cinco de Mayo Boxing Weekend. This marked Inoue’s first fight outside Japan for quite some time, bringing his perfect 29-0 record to American soil. Fans packed the venue, eager to see if the champion’s dominance would continue or if they would witness a historic upset.
Cardenas came into the fight as a significant underdog at +1500, but the American brought a respectable 26-1 record and home-field advantage. For Cardenas, this represented the chance of a lifetime. He got an opportunity to shock the world and claim all four major super bantamweight belts in one night. The stage was set for a classic champion versus challenger showdown, with Inoue’s technical brilliance pitted against Cardenas’ determination to seize his moment under the bright lights of Las Vegas!
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The opening round saw both fighters feeling each other out. Cardenas surprised many by applying early pressure, though Inoue responded with crisp jabs and combinations. The champion demonstrated his technical prowess while Cardenas tried to time Inoue with left hooks. As the bell rang, Inoue landed a stiff one-two that likely secured him the round.
Then came the shocker in round two. After trading jabs and body shots, Cardenas landed a thunderous left hand that sent ‘The Monster’ to the canvas! The crowd erupted as Inoue was knocked down. This dramatic moment instantly turned what many expected to be a routine defense into a compelling battle. This was his second time getting knocked down, the first being against Luis Nery.
Round three featured more back-and-forth action with Cardenas building on his momentum. The challenger’s high guard frustrated Inoue, who struggled to find clean shots to the chin. Inoue seemed to be getting emotional and greedy, lunging hard with his shots. An accidental clash of heads briefly halted the action, but when fighting resumed, both men landed significant blows, with Cardenas edging the round.
The odds saw a massive shift in the duration of the fight. The odds started at -6500 for Inoue and +1800 for Cardenas. However, after round three, Inoue dropped massively to just -1400 favourite and Cardenas to +650 underdog. This shift revealed the immense pressure Ramon Cardenas brought in the early rounds.
Inoue began finding his rhythm in the fourth round, adjusting to Cardenas’ style and landing cleaner shots. A big counter punch made the challenger pay for overcommitting, and Inoue backed him up with combinations. The champion got his bearings and he seemed defensively strong in this round.
The fifth round saw Inoue’s ring IQ shine as he adapted to Cardenas’ counter left hook. The champion cleverly paused mid-combination to draw it out, then countered the counter himself. Both fighters landed good body shots in what was an evenly contested round. In round six, Inoue shifted gears, becoming the ‘Monster’ he is aptly nicknamed. A powerful combination hurt Cardenas, followed by punishing body shots that visibly affected the challenger. Despite being battered against the ropes, Cardenas showed tremendous heart by refusing to go down. Inoue landed 33 power punches in this round!
The seventh round demonstrated Inoue’s complete adjustment to Cardenas’ tactics. The champion overwhelmed his opponent with output, landing a short left hook and a big one-two. A body shot hurt Cardenas again before a massive right hand finally dropped him. Though Cardenas survived the round, the writing was on the wall.
Cardenas’ corner warned him before the eighth that he needed to show something or they would stop the fight. Inoue immediately pressed forward, landing clean while Cardenas’ wild swings missed their mark. Another combination hurt the challenger badly, prompting the referee to wave off the contest and award Inoue the TKO victory. This win marked Inoue’s 11th consecutive win via KO in world title fights!
Inoue’s comeback from the early knockdown showcases why he has earned his fearsome reputation. After the initial shock, he methodically broke down Cardenas with surgical precision as he landed 49% power punches in this fight (108 out of 220).This win extends his perfect record to 30-0 with 27 knockouts.
For Cardenas, despite the loss, he can hold his head high. Few gave him any chance against the Japanese superstar, yet he not only dropped Inoue but remained competitive through several rounds. The challenger showed tremendous heart and gained new fans with his gutsy performance against one of boxing’s most feared punchers!
(Image Credit: naoyainoue_410 – X)
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