IT CAN’T be straightforward residing within the shadow of a proficient sibling.
Then once more not everybody has a brother like Naoya Inoue of their household.
Takuma Inoue, 18-1 (4), has been going about his personal enterprise quietly and successfully whereas Naoya has been beating up opponents in brutal trend and staking a authentic declare to be one of the best fighter on the earth.
Now at 28 years previous Takuma will take to the famed Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena in Tokyo on Saturday (February 24) to defend his WBA bantamweight belt towards the Manny Pacquiao-promoted Jerwin Ancajas, 34-3-2 (23). The struggle had been scheduled to happen final November however was postponed after Takuma suffered a fractured rib in sparring.
“Though my opponent this time is the strongest boxer in my career, I am confident of throwing more punches in the upcoming fight,” Takuma stated throughout a public exercise on the Ohashi Boxing Gym earlier this month.
The similar strap was the property of Naoya in 2018 earlier than the 30-year-old captured the opposite three baubles to turn into the recognised bantamweight world champion. He then vacated them so he might enterprise north to super-bantam leaving his brother and different high contenders at 118lbs to compete for the 4 belts.
Takuma claimed one of them when beating Liborio Solis 10 months in the past in his solely struggle of 2023. The Japanese boxer made good use of his left hook and combos to pressure the Venezuelan into retreat and into the shedding column after going the gap.
Ancajas hasn’t seen 12-round competitors since dropping a factors verdict to Fernando Martinez of their October 2022 rematch. Both had been comparatively one-sided wins for the Argentinian. Ancajas bought again within the winner’s circle with a fifth-round stoppage in an eight-round contest towards Colombian Wilner Soto in Minneapolis. This too was the one motion Ancajas noticed final 12 months.
Inoue’s sole defeat to date got here towards southpaw Nordine Oubaali when the Frenchman put his opponent down within the fourth spherical earlier than deservedly profitable a unanimous choice. On the identical November 2019 present huge brother Naoya was given an almighty scare by Nonito Donaire throughout an evening of drama in Saitama whereas their father Shingo watched on.
Ancajas, additionally a lefty, is shifting up from super-flyweight having held the IBF belt for six years earlier than working into Martinez. The 32-year-old is unlikely to put Inoue beneath the identical sort of strain Oubaali managed by forcing errors and making him uncomfortable. Ancajas’ finest work comes from the jab, which he continuously throws to the physique, however as fights progress his work can get ragged as wild looping blows usually provoke a shootout.
The Filipino flew out final Sunday morning for his first struggle in Japan. “I want to convince [judges] every round that I am ahead especially when I am the visiting opponent,” he stated. “I have to be dominant every round and as a boxer I know when I am ahead or not.”
It appears possible that Inoue-Ancajas will go the gap with every man having durations of success and momentum swings. But Inoue’s house benefit, workrate and temperament ought to see him over the road after 12 rounds. Ancajas, nevertheless, shouldn’t be written off.
More bantamweight enterprise can be dealt with on the identical card when Mexico’s Alexandro Santiago places his WBC belt on the road towards southpaw Junto Nakatani.
Boxing followers will keep in mind Nakatani, 26-0 (19), for his astonishing last spherical knockout of Andrew Moloney 9 months in the past. That win gave Nakatani the vacant WBO super-flyweight belt which he efficiently defended as soon as towards Argi Cortes. But the 26-year-old quickly moved on and is now at 118lbs and a authentic risk to the division.
Santiago, who has 5 attracts on his 28-3-5 (14) file, broke sentimental hearts final summer season when he outpointed Filipino nice Nonito Donaire to deny the veteran one other strap.
The Mexican can be conceding 5 inches in peak to Nakatani however solely two in attain. Santiago’s best concern needs to be that his challenger carries energy from spherical one to spherical 12. Since his first 10-round bout in 2018 the 26-year-old has stopped 9 of his final dozen opponents. And heavy-handed fighters in smaller weight courses – the place the bounce from one division to one other is contextually slight – have a tendency to carry their energy up with them.
“I can now fight both at short and long distances,” Nakatani stated. “I need to throw more punches if I were to attain a knockout victory. I think I have my Sunday punch. I hope you will be looking forward to waiting for my fight on February 24.”
Nakatani’s lengthy arms and skill to harm opponents each from distance and up shut might show to be a nightmare for Santiago who received’t win this at arm’s size. The choose is for him to get stopped someplace across the eighth spherical. The 28-year-old’s solely hope is that he can quickly get in and get out, whereas taking the required dangers to really make a dent in Nakatani.
Another Japan v Mexico battle rounds issues off however this time at super-flyweight. Kosei Tanaka, 19-1 (1), will look to win a world belt in a fourth weight class towards Christian “Rocky” Bacasegua, 22-4-2 (9).
A professional since he was 18, Tanaka has risen via the divisions profitable belts at strawweight, light-flyweight and flyweight. But it was at super-flyweight that the 28-year-old suffered his first loss on New Year’s Eve in 2020 to Kazuto Ioka. The modern-day nice dropped his compatriot twice earlier than stopping Tanaka within the eighth spherical.
This time Tanaka has a much less difficult project on his arms, on paper at the very least. Bacasuega can be combating exterior of his homeland for the primary time in his nine-year profession. And solely the WBO would have the option to justify how Bacasuega needs to be their quantity two contender at super-fly one place beneath Tanaka.
At world degree the 26-year-old might be described as restricted. In fact, it’s a mismatch that the WBO needs to be questioned about. Once Tanaka’s jab begins to hearth, uppercuts or hooks to the physique will certainly observe and Bacasuega will do nicely to final three rounds.
“It would be best if I could get a KO,” Tanaka stated at his fitness center in Nagoya. “I don’t want to win in an anticlimactic showing.”
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