Ohashi on Inoue: Nakatani Will Be His Toughest Opponent Yet

Hideyuki Ohashi knew Naoya Inoue was different from the moment he met him. The promoter who developed the undisputed bantamweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super bantamweight champion says Inoue's presence stood apart even in high school, when opponents were carried off on stretchers after knockouts. Yet Ohashi now faces the prospect of watching his star fighter enter what he calls the toughest bout of Inoue's career when the Monster meets Junto Nakatani at Tokyo Dome in May.

In an interview with The Ring Magazine, Ohashi recalled Inoue refusing a soft pro debut opponent and instead insisting on facing an OPBF-ranked fighter right away. By his fourth fight, Inoue had taken on a Thai champion, Japan's top contender, and future unified titlist Ryoichi Taguchi. "He was saying things like that even before joining the gym," Ohashi said of Inoue's demand to fight strong opponents only. "They believe it's OK to fight strong opponents, even if you lose. You can always come back and take revenge."

Nakatani's Evolution After Hernandez Fight

Ohashi admitted he thought Inoue would dominate Nakatani until the latter's December clash with Sebastian Hernandez changed his assessment. Nakatani struggled early but made adjustments mid-fight against an opponent Ohashi describes as strong and unpleasant, a fighter who displays "strength like a crazed wolf" in late rounds. "Nakatani will get considerably stronger from here," Ohashi told the magazine. "Thanks to the experience of that fight, I think he'll be roughly 1.5 times stronger by May."

When asked if Nakatani would be Inoue's toughest opponent, Ohashi gave an unequivocal answer. "Of course, absolutely. Without a doubt, his toughest opponent ever. Stronger than any previous opponent by far." He pointed to Nakatani's height and decisive punches, particularly his short inside uppercuts, as weapons that make him formidable. Ohashi also noted that Inoue performs best when motivated by dangerous opposition.

The Tokyo Dome fight will be the biggest promotional effort of Ohashi's career, surpassing even the Inoue-Luis Nery event in May 2024. A Japanese matchup carries different energy, he said, and he wants the bout to attract worldwide attention. Ohashi described his relationship with Inoue as built on accumulated trust from years of shared struggles, with one guiding principle: "What I always keep in mind is to make sure he experiences no stress — letting him do things the way he wants, getting him into the ring in the best possible condition." The Inoue-Nakatani fight is scheduled for late May at Tokyo Dome.

Source: ringmagazine.com