Hideyuki Ohashi on developing Naoya Inoue, Nakatani showdown

Promoter Hideyuki Ohashi knew Naoya Inoue was different the moment they met. The man who guided Inoue from high school to pound-for-pound king says the unified bantamweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super bantamweight champion displayed flawless fundamentals from the start, and what has followed over the past decade has matched those early expectations.

In the second part of an interview with The Ring, Ohashi discussed how the Inoue brothers forced him to abandon conventional matchmaking wisdom and why the upcoming clash with Junto Nakatani represents a new level of challenge. Asked when he first recognised Inoue's potential, Ohashi recalled amateur bouts that ended with opponents on stretchers. "From early on, he had punching power, great timing on counters, good footwork," he said. "Everything was perfect. Mentally, too."

Why Ohashi believes Nakatani will be Inoue's toughest test

The May showdown at Tokyo Dome pits Inoue against the tallest, rangiest puncher he has faced. Ohashi admitted that until Nakatani struggled with Sebastian Hernandez last December, he thought Inoue would dominate. Hernandez sparred at Ohashi Gym before that fight, and the promoter saw firsthand how dangerous the Mexican becomes in the later rounds. Nakatani survived and adjusted, which is why Ohashi now projects him to be "1.5 times stronger" by fight night. "Of course, absolutely," he said when asked if Nakatani would be Inoue's toughest opponent. "Without a doubt, his toughest opponent ever."

Ohashi pointed to Nakatani's height advantage, decisive punching, and short inside uppercuts as the weapons that separate this matchup from anything Inoue has faced before. The promoter also noted that Inoue responds to threat with motivation, recalling the 2019 knockout of Emmanuel Rodriguez — a fighter Ohashi thought might hand Inoue his first loss. Another standout memory is the 2016 fight in Zama, when Inoue battled through a back injury that left him barely able to move yet still found a knockout late.

The trust between Ohashi and Inoue runs through years of shared struggles. Ohashi said his main job is to eliminate stress and let the fighter dictate his own path, even when that means accepting risky matchups. Both Inoue brothers insisted on facing ranked opponents when the gym wanted softer opposition. When Takuma Inoue broke his hand in 2017, Ohashi turned down a fight with Hiroyuki Hisataka without telling him. Takuma demanded the fight anyway and won. The Tokyo Dome event in May will surpass the Inoue-Luis Nery card from 2024, according to Ohashi, who wants the Japanese domestic matchup to show the world what boxing can deliver.

Source: ringmagazine.com