Naoya Inoue inflicted a brutal beating on Nonito Donaire to win their keenly-anticipated rematch via a stunning second-round knockout.

Pound-for-pound superstar Inoue moves to 23-0 (20 KOs) and adds the WBC bantamweight title to his WBA and IBF crowns.

Future Hall of Famer Donaire pushed Inoue all the way when the duo shared 12 pulsating rounds in November 2019, but he had no response after being decked towards the end of the opening session at Saitama’s Super Arena.

Inoue operated in a chillingly-clinical fashion when the action resumed and referee Michael Griffin saved Donaire when he hit the canvas for a second time after 84 seconds of round two.

After a truly great career in the lighter weights, where he has won world titles in four divisions, it could be the last we see of the 39-year-old Donaire. If those are his last acts in a ring, he can know they came in the company of a truly remarkable talent - arguably the finest fighter in the world today.


On the back of their action-packed 36 minutes last time out, it was perhaps a surprise not to see a “round 13” feel during the opening exchanges, as both men reacquainted themselves with one another.

Donaire looked to get on the front foot but little of consequence landed until Inoue got to work with his crisp counter left hook. He largely kept his lethal right sheathed until uncorking a crunching short shot to the temple that crumpled his foe.

The bell came to Donaire’s aid but a minute to recover was not sufficient as Inoue tore after him in hellacious fashion. He scored at will with the left hook, staggering Donaire and forcing him to cover up.

A left uppercut off the right troubled Donaire in the neutral corner and a left to the body depleted him further. That preceded Inoue’s final salvo, with Donaire bravely staying upright from another crunching left to the jaw.

But Inoue knew the end was near, pinging a couple of one-twos against Donaire’s chin before that immaculate left hook sealed the deal.


Inoue breaks golden rule of boxing… and it works!

One of the most foolish things most boxers can do is hook with a hooker, leaving themselves exposed to being hurt on the counter. But Inoue is not most boxers and, showing scant regard for Donaire’s capabilities with the left hook, he landed his own hard, often and decisively.

The 29-year-old was allowed to do this because of the authority he quickly established with his wonderfully varied jab. This time around, Donaire was unable to get a read on it before being flattened.

Inoue makes his P4P case

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s light-heavyweight loss to Dmitry Bivol has thrown the mythic pound-for-pound crown into a state of flux. Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury and Vasyl Lomachenko all have their admirers but Inoue left no doubt that he belongs in the upper echelons of the sport with a phenomenal display.

Perhaps “The Monster” will burnish his claims further by stepping up in weight. Already a three-division champion, super-bantamweight and featherweight success certainly feel very plausible for the Japanese wrecking machine.


Donaire’s greatness recognised

The dramatic sequel many desired did not materialise but it was heartening to see Donaire applauded from the arena. On the face of it, this was 39-year-old getting beaten up by a man a decade younger - the sort of spectacle you’d like boxing to avoid. But Donaire had more than earned the right to share the ring with Inoue again, having collected the WBC title in the aftermath of their first meeting.

His late-career renaissance at bantamweight has been a joy to behold. A record of 42-7 (28 KOs) has been compiled against the finest fighters of the past decade and, if this is the end, Donaire’s will be a thoroughly well-earned retirement.

MORE: Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2 odds, betting trends, predictions, expert picks for 2022 bantamweight title fight

Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2 results

Naoya Inoue wins his rematch against Nonito Donaire by 2nd round TKO, pound-for-pound superstar adds WBC title to his WBA and IBF belts

9:40 p.m JST/ 8:40 a.m EST: Not the great fight from the first time around, but what an imperious display from Inoue, who is as good as any boxer around. If that’s the last we see of Donaire, it will be a sad end to a magnificent career, but he will have the consolation of it ending at the hands of greatness. Thanks for being with us!

Round 2: It might have been the right that decked Donaire, but Inoue cannot miss with his left hook. Donaire is eating them up and he’s in trouble here. The first minute of round two an ordeal for the Filipino Flash, who is wobbled in centre ring. Here comes another barrage, Donaire is down AND IT’S ALL OVER!!!!

Round 1: Donaire starts off on the front foot, trying to establish the jab. Not much of consequence lads in the first minute as the two men reacquaint themselves. Inoue gets off a solid lead hook and catches Donaire with a left coming in. That shot also finds a home upstairs inside the final minute, his jab is looking good AND DOWN GOES DONAIRE! A short, hard right hand did the damage. Thankfully for Nonito, it was very close to the bell.

SN unofficial scorecard: 10-8 Inoue

9:18 p.m JST/ 8:18 a.m EST: Jimmy Lennon Jr is through the particulars in his inimitable style, the fighters are getting their final instructions from the referee and Inoue v Donaire 2 is moments away. We’re going round-by-round…


9:12 p.m JST/ 8:12 a.m EST: Donaire, who is somewhat surprisingly walking second, also gets a warm reception from the Saitama crowd. It’s time for the national anthems.

9:08 p.m JST/ 8:08 a.m EST: Inoue is on his way to the soundtrack of some serious guitar shredding in the ring. He climbs through the ropes to a rapturous ovation, looking all business.


9:00 p.m JST/ 8:00 a.m EST: Donaire is now 39 and still enjoying an incredible renaissance back down at bantamweight. After pushing Inoue to the limit and taking in an enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemic, Donaire won the WBC title against Nordine Oubaali and defended it against Reymart Gaballo in 2021, with both wins coming via fourth-round stoppages.

Those stand as more impressive victories than each of Inoue’s outings against Aran Dipaen and Michael Dasmarinas last year, although an October 2020 triumph in seven rounds over Jason Moloney was another statement performance from ‘The Monster’.

8:45 p.m JST/ 7:45 a.m EST: The smart money would have to be on an Inoue stoppage, with the 29-year-old having won 19 of his 22 professional contests. Age could also be a factor for the veteran Donaire. However, all that was true back in November 2019, when Inoue had to blast his way through a Donaire storm to retain his titles on points.

8:35 p.m JST/ 7:35 a.m EST: That’s it with the undercard. Pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue and Filipino great Nonito Donaire are ready to do it all again next. Wherever you’re watching in the world - settling in for lunch in the UK, pouring a morning coffee on the east coast - it’s best to grab the popcorn for this one.


Andy Hiraoka stops Shun Akaiwa in round six

Switch on he did! Hiraoka landed a huge right hand to stun Akaiwa, with his opponent unable to escape the follow-up barrage, where another overhand right was particularly eye-catching. The referee made a timely stoppage and Hiraoka can now look towards challenging for world honours with his 20-0 record. There are rough edges to smooth out before he gets there after what was an unusual performance at times. The finish was clinically impressive, though.

8:26 p.m JST/ 7:26 a.m EST: Interesting fifth round in our chief support. Hiraoka has been loading up a fair bit, looking for the showreel knockout to go with his flashy approach. But Akaiwa came out in a southpaw stance in the previous session and caused a fair few problems. The favourite certainly needs to switch on.

8:15 p.m JST/ 7:15 a.m EST: Hiraoka enjoying himself here. He went through a little bit of showboating at the end of round two after dropping Akaiwa with a crisp left uppercut in the first. Hiraoka has a jerky, hands-down style and Akaiwa is finding that a tricky puzzle to solve.


8:05 p.m JST/ 7:05 a.m EST: Our undercard action continues with 140lbs prospect Andy Hiraoka. He’s 19-0 but had a bit of a sinker in his previous bout, winning via a 10th-round stoppage but given unforeseen problems by journeyman Cristiano Aoqui. Hiraoka’s 10-rounder against Shun Akaiwa is underway after the, ahem, interesting decision to ringwalk to ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ by R Kelly.

Takuma Inoue wins unanimous decision over Gakuya Furuhashi

Anyone catching up on Boxrec later will be forgiven for rolling their eyes at the younger brother of the headline fighter winning a wide 12-round decision on the undercard, but that was a very watchable 36 minutes. It was a little strange to see Takuma Inoue displaying so many facets of his elder sibling’s game but without the KO power. If he’d had that, Furuhashi would not have been able to absorb such a relentless stream of uppercuts. Inoue moves on to 16-1 (3 KOs), with the battling Furuhashi’s career record now standing at 28-9-2.

7:35 p.m JST/ 6:35 a.m EST: Into the championship rounds now and don’t expect the established terms to alter at this stage. The quality work continues to come from Takuma Inoue but not to the extent that it will dissuade Furuhashi, who keeps ploughing forward.

7:20 p.m JST/ 6:20 a.m EST: There were some better moments for Furuhashi in rounds four and five but, at the halfway stage, the main story of this bout is the incredible volume of Inoue uppercuts he’s eating up. Furuhashi keeps coming forward, though, and if Inoue’s punches aren’t having an impact then his relentless pressure could turn the tide. Nevertheless, Inoue must be way up on the cards.


7:09 p.m JST/ 6:09 a.m EST: Takuma Inoue suffered the only defeat of his career to date on the undercard of the initial Inoue-Donaire encounter, dropping a points decision to Nordine Oubaali in a challenge for the WBC bantamweight title. A rebounding Donaire beat Oubaali in his first defence, so that loss for Inoue Jr is not an insignificant part of the story when it comes to today’s three-belt unification.

Takuma Inoue is putting together some impressive work here, with Furuhashi’s come-forward style leaving him exposed to punishing hooks and uppercuts. Round three was big for Inoue and it’s hard to see this one going the 12-round distance if the action continues in this manner, even allowing for the fact that Inoue does not share his older brother’s knockout pedigree.

6:52 p.m JST/ 5:52 a.m EST: Inoue is making his way to the ring. Calm down, don’t spill your coffee or beverage of choice… it’s the main man’s younger brother Takuma Inoue. He’s fighting compatriot Gakuya Furuhashi and putting his WBO Asia Pacific super bantamweight title on the line. Furuhashi’s Japanese bantamweight title is also up for grabs.

6:40 p.m JST/ 5:40 a.m EST: On Top Rank’s buildup show, they’re reviewing the sensational initial meeting between Inoue and Donaire.

6:20 p.m JST/ 5:20 a.m EST: Before the first bell when the pair met at the same Saitama venue in November 2019, it was hard to envisage anything other than an Inoue rout. ‘The Monster’ had blasted his way through the 118lbs division with his shuddering power and Donaire had taken the eyebrow-raising decision to step down from featherweight a year earlier despite his veteran status. Inoue got the job done but he had to come through heavy weather as he was hurt and suffered facial damage. What’s more, the action was sensational throughout. Let’s hope they pick up where they left off.

6:00 p.m JST/ 5:00 a.m EST: Hello and welcome of our live coverage of Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2. The keenly anticipated rematch of their 2019 classic is around three hours away. Inoue’s WBA and IBF belts will be on the line once again, with Donaire also bringing the WBC crown to the table.

BOXING

Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2 start time

  • Date: Tuesday, June 7
  • Start time: 5:30 a.m. ET | 10:30 a.m. BST
  • Main event: 8 a.m. ET | 1 p.m. BST (Approximately)

Inoue vs. Donaire 2 takes place at the Saitama’s Super Arena. Event coverage begins at around 5:30 a.m. ET. Inoue and Donaire should make their way to the ring around 7:30 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.

How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2

  • TV channel: ESPN+, YouTube

The Inoue vs. Donaire 2 main card will air on ESPN+.

Top Rank will show the bout on their YouTube channel in the U.K.

Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.

Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 2 fight card

  • Naoya Inoue (c) bt. Nonito Doniare (c) TKO (2/12) to add WBC bantamweight title to his WBA (Super) and IBF belts
  • Takuma Inoue bt Gakuya Furuhashi UD (12) to retain his WBO Asia Pacific super-bantamweight title and win the Japanese super-bantamweight title.
  • Andy Hiraoka vs. Shun Akaiwa; super-lightweights
  • Toshiya Ishii bt. Hikaru Fukunaga TKO (6/8) super-bantamweight contest
  • Kanamu Sakama bt. Fuki Ishigaki TKO (2/6) light-flyweight contest

Source: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/boxing/news/naoya-inoue-vs-nonito-donaire-2-live-results-highlights/oa7d4nkhwqllqea8vyhfkjsi