Naoya Inoue is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, and one of the most exciting. The Japanese sensation is back in action for the first defense of his undisputed super bantamweight title against Mexico's Luis Nery on May 6th at the Tokyo Dome.
The 12-round bout and undercard bout will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the US.
Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) defeated two unified champions at 122 pounds. In July, “The Monster” defeated Stephen Fulton by eighth-round TKO to win the WBC and WBO titles. Five months later, Marlon Tapares surrendered the IBF and WBA titles to Inoue, who won the bout by knockout in the tenth round.
clock: Naoya Inoue vs Luis Neri, exclusive to ESPN+
At the elite level, Neri (35-1, 27 KOs) is essentially the last man standing at 122 pounds. The Mexican-born southpaw proved his ability with stoppage wins over Shinsuke Yamanaka, Juan Carlos Payano, Macjo Arroyo and Azat Hovhannisyan. But despite Neri's touted punching power and experience, it would take something special to upset the champion.
Sporting News will provide live coverage of the entire card and main event round-by-round scores in Japan.
Naoya Inoue vs Luis Neri live updates, highlights and commentary
Naoya Inoue vs. Luis Neri: SN Live Scorecard
round | 1 | 2 | 3 | Four | Five | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Ten | 11 | 12 | total |
Inoue | |||||||||||||
Neri |
7:01 PM Japan Time / 6:01 AM ET: After eight rounds, Takuma Inoue is in cruise control. His superior variety and quantity of punches was more than enough to keep challengers honest.
6:44 PM Japan Time / 5:44 AM ET: 4 rounds down, Inoue recovered from a flashdown in the first round. The champion's accurate left jab caused Ishida's nose to bleed, and his mid-range combination work was impressive.
6:32 PM Japan Time / 5:32 AM ET: In the first round, Takuma Inoue went down from Ishida's sharp counter jab. Inoue had been boxing well up to that point and didn't seem to be injured.
6:19pm Japan Time / 5:19am ET: Next, “The Monster”'s younger brother Takuma Inoue will make his second defense of the WBA bantamweight title against mandatory challenger and compatriot Sho Ishida.
Still… Shogo Yuri Akui (20 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw, 11 KOs) defeated Taku Kuwabara by unanimous decision in 12 rounds, successfully defending his WBA flyweight title for the first time. The scores were 118-110, 117-111, 117-111. This was Akui's second victory against this opponent. Kuwabara fell to 13 wins, 2 losses (8 KOs).
6:04 PM Japan Time / 5:04 AM ET: Going into the final round, Akui looks to have the advantage in points. Kuwabara was competitive in every round, but his attack made a cameo in the second half. Akui is the more consistent fighter of the two.
5:49 p.m. Japan time / 4:49 a.m. ET: The bell ends the seventh round. Kuwabara still throws some beautiful combinations, but there is evidence that Akui's high-pressure attacks are slowing him down. The champions appear to be leading in points.
5:34 PM Japan Time / 4:34 AM ET: It's only the fourth round, but this two-way action is great. Akui specializes in boxing, using sharp jabs with his front legs. Kuwabara backs up but scores very well with counters, especially a left hook. Neither fighter has a decisive advantage.
5:10pm Japan Time / 4:10am ET: The first world title match is about to begin. Seigo Akui will defend his WBA flyweight title against Taku Kuwabara.
3:00 p.m. Japan time / 2:00 a.m. ET: Hello. Welcome to live sports coverage as pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue defends his undisputed super bantamweight title against hard-punching Mexican southpaw Luis Nery.
What time Naoya Inoue vs Luis Neri?
The main card will begin at 5pm local time (4am ET). The main event should start around 8pm local time (7am ET) depending on how long the undercard matches last.
Japan Standard Time is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Time.
region | date | Main card start time | Main event ring walk (approximately) |
United States and Canada (ET) | Monday, May 6th | 4 a.m. Eastern Time | 7pm ET |
United States and Canada (PT) | Monday, May 6th | 1am Pacific Time | 4am Pacific Time |
united kingdom and ireland | Monday, May 6th | 9am (BST) | 12pm (BST) |
Australia | Monday, May 6th | 6pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) | 9pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) |
Japan | Monday, May 6th | 5pm Japan time | 8pm Japan time |
Read more: Naoya Inoue or Terrence Crawford? P4P rankings could change in 2024
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs Luis Neri: TV channels, live streams
region | tv channels | live broadcast |
united states of america | ESPN | ESPN+ |
Canada | — | TSN+ |
united kingdom and ireland | Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Arena | sky go |
Australia | foxtel | Kayo Sports |
of The main card between Naoya Inoue and Luis Neri will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the U.S. The undercard will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+.
If you can't watch the Inoue vs. Neri match live, or if you're traveling abroad, you can use a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN provides a secure and private online connection, so you can bypass geo-restrictions and access your favorite streaming services from any device in the world.
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Naoya Inoue vs Luis Neri Price: How much does the event cost?
You can pay $10.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or purchase an annual subscription for $109.99.
product | price |
---|---|
ESPN+ monthly subscription | $10.99/month |
ESPN+ annual subscription | $109.99/year |
Disney Bundle with Hulu Ads | $14.99/month |
Hulu Ad-Free Disney Bundle | $24.99/month |
clock: Naoya Inoue vs Luis Neri, exclusive to ESPN+
Naoya Inoue vs Lewis Nelly fight card
- Naoya Inoue (c) vs. Louis Nery IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO, Ring Super Bantamweight World Title Match
- Jason Moloney (c) vs. Yoshiki Takei WBO bantamweight world title fight
- Takuma Inoue (c) vs Sho Ishida WBA World Bantamweight Title Match
- Seigo Yuri Akui (c) def. Taku Kuwabara wins WBA world flyweight title with UD 12 (118-110, 117-111, 117-111)
- TJ Doheny def. Brill Bayogos (TKO 8) Super Bantamweight