In what was turning into a disappointing weekend of boxing that featured big names coming up small, it turned out that they saved the best for last. Naoya Inoue came off the canvas to stop the gutty Ramon Cardenas in eight entertaining rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday night.
'the Monster' was the savior, as he salvaged boxing's reputation (till at least Thursday).
Perhaps things were summed up best by a text message I received from the venerable Larry Merchant, who sent this to me in the early rounds of Inoue-Cardenas: "OMG a real fight."
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Inoue doesn't just win, he actually has the temerity to take risks and get this -- entertain the masses. While others play safety first (second, third, and fourth), this guy will actually put himself in harms way in carrying out his mission. Lets be honest, he probably doesn't do it for the edification of the fans, but he certainly satisfies them with the way he goes about business.
Ask yourself this: out of all the boxers who performed recently, which one would you put down your hard earned money to see, again?
No, he isn't perfect. The reality is that the perfect prizefighter does not exist. But what Inoue is though, is peerless in his performance. Rare is the modern day boxer that can be effective and yet still be compelling inside that ring. While most of his pugilistic colleagues will gladly take the path of least resistance, Inoue willingly goes into battle.
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Admittedly, his recent run of non-conference foes (think SEC football) hasn't been the toughest, Inoue gets back into the thick of things as he faces his WBA mandatory, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, in September, then there is talk of him facing WBA featherweight titlist, Nick Ball, in December in Saudi Arabia. Then in 2026 an all-Japanese showdown against three-division champion, Junto Nakatani, looms.
Who knows if he'll get through this gauntlet as he heads into the thick of his 30s. But one thing is guaranteed, we will all be watching intently.
Here are some other thoughts on what took place on Sunday evening...
- As I saw Inoue pepper Cardenas with one rapid fire salvo after another near the end of their contest, it really did remind me a bit of the swarming attack of Manny Pacquiao. Now, I realize this isn't a perfect comparison, but like the legendary 'Pac Man' as he moved up in weight, he had to work more in volume and scored more decision victories later on in his career.
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Inoue is still scoring KO's, in fact, this was his 11th consecutive stoppage victory, but he does have to work a bit harder to achieve them. My guess is that at 126, his attack will be more based on speed and quicker, rather than raw power.
- The knockdown of Inoue in round two was eerily similar to the one he took against Luis Nery last May. Noted trainer, Joe Goossen, says that as one hand offends, the other must defend. One of the few flaws he seems to have is that sometimes his back hand isn't always in the right defensive position near his chin/cheek area as he thrusts forward.
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Hey, as stated above, nobody is perfect. But keep this in mind, 'MJ' Akhmadaliev and Nakatani are southpaws with strong left hands.
- An announced crowd of over 8,400 was announced for this event. Originally the seats were a bit over-priced but I do wonder how much the attendance was impacted by having this on Sunday night, and Cardenas was basically unknown to most casual boxing fans.
But there was clearly a big fight feel and energy by the time Inoue-Cardenas touched them up. And by the end of the proceedings, I'd bet that basically everyone inside that venue would not hesitate to see Inoue again in person, and many more who watched on ESPN. In the post-fight press conference, the Japanese superstar stated that he would like to perform again in the States.
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
- You give Joel Diaz a full training camp with a boxer, and what you'll usually get is a guy who will show up and give you hell. That was proven again by Cardenas, who earned more lucrative opportunities after his recent effort.
- Rafael Espinoza, the reigning WBO featherweight champion, is literally and figuratively a tall order for anyone in the division. At 6'1, he towers over his foes and drowns them in leather. The tough Edward Vazquez was the latest victim as he was chopped up in seven. The question is at age 31, can he keep making that weight long enough to be in the Inoue sweepstakes moving forward?
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
- Emiliano Vargas, who starched Juan Leon in two rounds, just has that look of a future star. That's all I'll say for now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqe6BsTShtE
- This fight's credentials were handled by the fine folks at Magna Media. Which means that we got good ol' fashioned credentials instead of those hideous wristbands.
Steve Kim
Yes, it matters!!
- Finally, I think this email from a long-time reader of mine, Bill 'Battleship' Pittman sums up the feelings of many hard-core fans
"Hi Steve, they say, “save the best for last” and that certainly was true for boxing over the last 3 days. Some of the biggest names in the sweet-science, “preformed” way under expectations and left an overall impression of entitlement and not caring about the sport that’s made them rich, or for the fans either. It was sad to see.
Then, Inoue and Cardenas joined in a classic slugfest and made all that came in the two days before fade away. They fought as true warriors who cared about winning and who gave there all. They reminded us how special boxing can be when fighters bring their courage and fighting heart into the ring."
Hope you are well,
Bill
Elkhart, Indiana
