Naoya Inoue beat Nonito Donaire by unanimous decision in a modern-day classic to win the World Boxing Super Series final in Saitama, Japan, on Thursday.
The 26-year-old superstar was taken the distance by Donaire, 10 years his senior, but was eventually awarded the victory to add the WBA (Super) bantamweight title to his IBF belt.
Over 12 bruising rounds, the momentum ebbed and flowed as Donaire put in a heroic performance that made a mockery of pre-fight predictions he would be dominated.
Eventually, home favourite Inoue took control of proceedings, knocking Donaire to the canvas with a body shot in the 11th round, and he was a worthy winner of the Muhammad Ali Trophy:
Inoue went into the final as strong favourite having finished Emmanuel Rodriguez inside two rounds in the semi-final and Juan Carlos Payano in 70 seconds in the quarters.
Donaire, though, was the fighter who controlled the opening stages. He took blows from Inoue that others may have folded under and set the pace:
In the fourth round, Inoue began to find his range, and in the fifth, he staggered Donaire with a left hook before almost finishing him with a huge right:
Somehow the Filipino-American survived to the bell, and he recovered somewhat before taking more punishment in the sixth:
Not for nothing, though, is Donaire a four-weight world champion, and despite looking finished at points in the fifth and sixth, he somehow turned the fight back in his favour.
He worked away at Inoue in the seventh round before unloading a double right hand that staggered his opponent in the eighth.
It was a quite brilliant response from Donaire given where he had been barely five minutes earlier, and by the end of the eighth round, Inoue had blood pouring from a cut above his right eye:
In the ninth, Donaire went to work again with his right hand, landing a shot flush on Inoue's chin. The Japanese fighter stood his ground, though, and flew out the blocks in the 10th with the clear intention to get the fight done.
And finally, Donaire's age seemed to show as he was pushed back by jab after jab and saved by the bell again.
In the 11th, a thunderous left to the body from Inoue finally sent Donaire to the mat. The veteran just made the count and somehow landed a counter punch amid a flurry from Inoue that slowed his momentum enough to make the bell.
Donaire came bouncing out of his corner for the 12th, in which he needed a knockout for victory.
He did not get it, and Inoue was fully deserving of his win after some quite phenomenal hitting and an admirable show of staying power:
But the defeated Donaire came out with equal credit for having taken one of boxing's brightest stars all the way in a thriller.
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.
