Takuma Inoue Survives Nasukawa Knockdown to Retain WBC Bantamweight Title
Inoue took Nasukawa's best shot in the seventh and still walked away with a unanimous decision in Tokyo.
Takuma Inoue survived a seventh-round knockdown from Tenshin Nasukawa to retain his WBC bantamweight title by unanimous decision on Sunday at Toyota Arena in Tokyo. Scores were 116-111, 116-111, and 114-113.
Inoue controlled the early rounds with a sharp jab and straight right, keeping Nasukawa at distance and building a comfortable lead on the cards. The fight changed in the seventh when Nasukawa dropped Inoue clean, earning a 10-8 round and turning a cruise into a real contest.
Nasukawa pressed hard after the knockdown, landing his left hand more frequently and putting Inoue on the defensive for the first time all night. But Inoue recovered, steadied himself, and refused to give back any more rounds down the stretch.
The split in the scorecards told the story. Two judges had it 116-111, reflecting Inoue's dominant early work. The third scored it 114-113, giving Nasukawa credit for the momentum shift after the knockdown.
This was a rematch of their November 2025 fight, which Inoue won more comfortably on cards of 116-112, 116-112, and 117-111. Nasukawa came in a better fighter this time around, having stopped Juan Francisco Estrada between bouts, and he proved it by making Inoue genuinely uncomfortable for the first time in their rivalry.
Inoue moves to 23-2 with his second successful defense of the WBC belt. Nasukawa falls to 8-2 but showed enough to stay relevant at 118 pounds.
Tenshin Nasukawa is turning into one of the most entertaining fighters in boxing, and I mean that as a genuine compliment. The guy came over from kickboxing, got outpointed in the first Inoue fight, then went and stopped Estrada to prove he belonged. He came back and dropped the champion this time. That's real progress.
But Takuma Inoue showed championship composure. Getting dropped in a fight you're winning comfortably is where a lot of guys fall apart. Inoue took the shot, reset, and gave nothing else away. That's the difference between holding a belt and deserving one.
I wouldn't hate a trilogy. Nasukawa is getting closer every time, and the Japanese fans clearly want it. The 114-113 card tells you at least one judge thought it was a coin flip after that knockdown. Give Tenshin one more crack at it.
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/09/takuma-inoue-survives-knockdown-to-beat-tenshin-nasukawa/
