One of the most fearsome punchers in all of boxing will be unleashed at Halloween, when Naoya "The Monster" Inoue defends his WBA and IBF world bantamweight titles against Jason "Mayhem" Moloney at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs) comes into Saturday's bout second on Ring's pound-for-pound rankings, trailing only Canelo Alvarez. This is his second pro fight in the United States and first under the Top Rank banner, with the promotional outfit hoping the 27-year-old can blossom into an international star.
In order to do that, he'll have to get past Moloney (21-1, 18 KOs), a 29-year-old Australian who has four consecutive wins by stoppage and is ranked sixth in Ring's bantamweight ratings.
Here's what you need to know to watch the fight.
Fight Info
When: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET (undercard start time)
Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas
Live stream: ESPN+
Odds: Inoue -1115 (bet $1,115 to win $100), Moloney +550 (bet $100 to win $550) (via Draftkings Sportsbook)
Inoue is not in one of boxing's glamour divisions, but if he were, he might already be a household name.
The Japanese champion combines technical mastery with awe-inspiring power, and his body punching is some of the best in the prizefighting business.
Here's how Yahoo Sports's Kevin Iole describes him: "He doesn't just finish opponents, he pulverizes them and in many cases, knocks them senseless. He's got the same kind of power in his fists pound-for-pound that Mike Tyson had as a heavyweight."
Inoue might also be one of the most resilient fighters in the sport. Last time out, he emerged bloodied, battered but ultimately victorious in a hellish decision win over Nonito Donaire in the World Boxing Super Series final.
Inoue suffered fractures to his nose and orbital bone early on in the bout in November 2019, but he pushed through the pain to get the win.
Put it all together, and it's easy to see why he is such an overwhelming favorite against Moloney. Inoue's had nearly a full year to recover from the Donaire clash, so fans can expect his best on Saturday night.
"I've prepared perfectly for this title defense against Jason Moloney," Inoue told BoxingScene.com's Jake Donovan via a translated text. "I am excited to fight in Las Vegas for the first time and to give my best performance in the ring."
Moloney is going to have to put in the shift of his life if he's going to beat a razor-sharp Inoue.
The well-regarded challenger is no slouch in the power department with an 81.8 percent career knockout rate, per BoxRec. His lone loss came in October 2018, a split-decision defeat to Emmanuel Rodriguez. He is a massive underdog against Inoue, but he can see a path to victory against the undefeated champion.
"Inoue is an exceptional fighter with great speed and knockout power," Moloney said, per Ring's Anson Wainwright. "But all fighters have a weakness, and no fighter is unbeatable.
"I think Inoue is reckless at times and he is there to be hit. Obviously you have to be good enough to capitalize on these opportunities but I believe that I can do it."
Donaire certainly proved Inoue is hittable, but even the broken bones weren't enough for the Filipino Flash to get the upset. Moloney is going to have to come up with something truly remarkable in order to win.
Boxing fans will get a rare treat on Thursday with a world-class fight that doesn't have to interfere with weekend plans, assuming you don't mind getting up early stateside. Naoya Inoue will square off against Nonito Donaire in the World Boxing Super Series final, a clash that also serves as a title unification bout.
Inoue will put his IBF world bantamweight title on the line in Saitama, Japan, while Donaire brings his WBA and WBC world bantamweight straps. The undefeated Inoue (18-0, 16 KOs) is a hard-hitting, technical marvel who has dominated boxing's lighter divisions. Ring Magazine ranks "The Monster" as the No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Donaire (40-5, 26 KOs) is no slouch, as his world titles can attest, but he's not expected to match Inoue's skill and intensity, While the 36-year-old has beaten several excellent fighters, he has lost when it matters most, with defeats against the likes of Carl Frampton, Jessie Magdaleno and Guillermo Rigondeaux. A win over Inoue would be a big upset and represent a career high for the "Filipino Flash."
Here's how to watch.
Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire Fight Info
When: Thursday, Nov. 7 at 5 a.m. ET (main card)
Where: Super Arena in Saitama, Japan
TV: Sky Sports Action, Sky Sports Mix (UK)
Live stream: DAZN (US, subscription required)
Odds: Inoue -900 (bet $900 to win $100), Donaire +500 (bet $100 to win $500)
Odds courtesy of OddsChecker.com and updated as of Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. ET.
Based on what Inoue's done so far in the WBSS, there's a good chance he ends up dominating Donaire in the final. The quarterfinal saw Inoue knock out Juan Carlos Payano on a left-right combo unleashed with blinding speed. In the semifinal, Emmanuel Rodriguez managed to reach the second round before Inoue ended his night with a vicious body punch. Here's the highlight, per DAZN USA:
This has been Inoue's entire career. He has incredible speed, is great at setting traps and is a ruthless finisher. Five of his last six fights have ended within three rounds. At 26 years old, he may only just be entering his prime.
Donaire certainly has a monumental task in front of him. The underdog is a naturally bigger man, coming down to bantamweight after a few years in the super bantamweight and featherweight ranks. He may be better able to handle Inoue's power, but his opponent's brilliance in other areas may prove to be too much to overcome. At 36 years old, any diminishing speed or conditioning could spell doom for him.
Donaire certainly hasn't been helped by the lack of competition up to this point in the WBSS. He beat Ryan Burnett in the quarterfinal after the Englishman suffered a back injury. He was then set to face the excellent Zolani Tete in the semifinal, but Tete got hurt in training and had to pull out of the bout. Donaire ended up dispatching the replacement fighter, Stephon Young, in six rounds.
Despite the easy path to the final, Donaire expects to be in his top form on Thursday.
"The tougher the fight, the more I show up. That's why I always seek to fight the best, and that's why I've always gone to seek the bigger fights because it always brings out the best in me. This fight [against Inoue] definitely is going to bring out the best of me in every way," he said, per ESPN.com's Steve Kim.
Like Inoue, Donaire knows how to break down an opponent with power punches. However, Bad Left Hook's Scott Christ believes Donaire's best punch could be his downfall:
"Donaire's main tactical flaw is a simple one, and it's been there forever, even back when he was a top P4P guy, and it comes from his greatest asset, the left hook. Donaire has a habit of falling in love with that punch to the point he can be one-dimensional and ineffective. The good news is that, again, his left hook is a genuine eraser, a monster punch. But if it's all he's looking for, he becomes predictable. It may be his only legitimate chance at the upset on Thursday, but Inoue will be prepared for it, too. It can be neutralized."
It won't be at all surprising if the fight takes a couple of rounds to get going, with both boxers aware of each other's gifts. However, Inoue's ability to dismantle opponents by attacking both the head and body, coupled with his speed and youth, should see him holding three world titles when the night is done.
Nordine Oubaali and Rau'shee Warren will be in the spotlight on Saturday night when they battle for the vacant WBC world bantamweight title on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner fight.
For Oubaali (14-0, 11 KOs), it's his first chance at a world title after turning pro five years ago. Warren (16-2, 4 KOs) held both the IBO and WBA world titles at bantamweight after beating Juan Carlos Payano in June 2016, avenging an earlier loss to Payano. However, he lost the belts in his next fight, a split-decision loss to Zhanat Zhakiyanov.
The WBC title the two are fighting for became available after Luis Nery failed to make weight for a title fight last year.
The fight is also a chance at revenge for Warren. He lost to Oubaali in the flyweight division at the 2012 London Olympics, his first and only match at those Summer Games. Warren turned pro later that year.
In addition to Oubaali-Warren and Pacquiao-Broner, Saturday's pay-per-view card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas also features Badou Jack fighting Marcus Browne for the WBA interim light heavyweight title and Jhack Tepora defending his WBA interim featherweight title against Hugo Ruiz.
Here's how to watch the fights.
Oubaali vs. Warren Fight Info
When: Saturday, Jan. 19 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas
TV: Showtime (PPV, $74.99)
Live Stream: Showtime.com (PPV, $74.99)
Odds: Oubaali -450 (bet $450 to win $100), Warren +325
Oubaali is a solid favorite going into this match. Not only has he proved he can beat Warren in the past, albeit as an amateur, but he's also turned out to be a more dangerous fighter as a professional.
The 32-year-old Frenchman is undefeated, winning his last five matches by stoppage. Warren—a decorated amateur boxer—has a couple of losses on his record, and with just four KOs in his career, he doesn't appear to possess the stopping power that his opponent has at 118 pounds.
Oubaali has also been getting some help to prepare for Warren. According to BoxingScene.com, Oubaali has been sparring with Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire, who noted Oubaali's "power is something you really feel when you're in there with him."
Donaire is an orthodox fighter, while Warren is a southpaw, so he wasn't quite the perfect sparring partner. Oubaali will have to work on getting his front foot to the outside of Warren's and be wary of the left cross.
Fortunately, Warren isn't a dangerous puncher, so Oubaali will likely be willing to take a hit or two if it means he can get off his own power punches cleanly.
If Warren finds his power lacking, he will have to make sure he can establish the jab.
Speaking to PremierBoxingChampions.com's Lem Satterfield, Warren says he's been working on that part of his arsenal:
"The jab wasn't there in the two Juan Carlos Payano fights. It was a lot of just going in there and slugging, trying to bring the fight to him. The second fight I kind of made it easier, but I still didn't throw my jab as much.
"Over the course of my last two fights, we've made it more critical and the most important part of my arsenal, setting up the rest of my punches and making everything easier."
Warren, a Cincinnati native, also has a home-country advantage over Oubaali, who is looking at his first professional bout outside of France. If he can put together a complete performance and get the crowd behind him, he could walk away with an upset win on a big stage.
Odds are courtesy of OddsShark and updated as of Thursday, Jan. 17 at 7 a.m. ET.
