They engaged in a high-level chess match for the first third of the fight, before Nakatani kicked the fight into second gear to make it an enthralling encounter as he challenged the undisputed junior featherweight king.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am very proud of Junto\u2019s performance,\u201d Hernandez told The Ring. \u201cAfter putting thought into it, I believe that I probably failed Junto by holding him back in the first few rounds of the fight. It was my doing to have him start the way that he did.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the fight, I know that Junto listens to me and will do what\u2019s asked of him, and he doesn\u2019t question it. The reason [our initial plan] went longer than it should have was that I knew Inoue has very good IQ, speed and power \u2014 he\u2019s the entire package. My whole thing was to try and stay one step behind so that we can catch him once Inoue got close using his speed. But during the fight, it turned out that Junto was just as fast as Inoue.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn’t about fighting. It was about trying to be in control and working on timing to catch Inoue. That was the plan. We didn’t want to lose any rounds. We made it a fight, but we started too late. You live and learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nakatani lost the first four rounds on the scorecards and eventually dropped the decision<\/a> by scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112.<\/p>\n Nakatani (32-1, 27 KOs) had tremendous success from Rounds 5-10 before getting his left orbital bone broken in the 11th from an uppercut.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery round was very competitive and probably could have gone either way,\u201d Hernandez said. \u201cOnce Junto got going, you saw the momentum he built, and he was looking really solid. That was part of the plan as well.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe headbutt in the 10th that caused a cut near his left eyebrow didn\u2019t factor in the result of the fight, but the uppercut that broke Junto\u2019s orbital bone early on in the 11th did change the outcome of the fight. You saw that Junto was hurt and went straight into defensive mode, but he didn\u2019t tell me until after the fight that he had hurt his eye. Until the eye injury, Junto was on a roll, everything was working and his confidence was growing. He was taking it to Inoue.\u201d<\/p>\n Hernandez said their strategy would be different in a much-desired sequel and lead to more favorable results.<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s no secret to it \u2014 the rematch would be Round 13, and we wouldn\u2019t be in a feeling-out process and showing the same respect that we had for this fight,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know that we are extremely competitive now, that we can beat him \u2014 now more than ever. I have a lot of respect for Inoue. I consider him to be the best fighter in the world. Congratulations to him for winning the decision. The right guy won, but there is a but \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be honorable if Inoue gave us a rematch. It would be no different than how he gave Nonito Donaire a rematch. Junto is worthy of a rematch.\u201d<\/p>\n Immediately after the fight, conversation quickly shifted to a potential fight between Inoue and Jesse \u201cBam\u201d Rodriguez<\/a>, The Ring, WBA, WBC and WBO 115-pound champion who\u2019s getting ready to make his 118-pound debut against Antonio Vargas on June 13.<\/p>\n Hernandez said that if Rodriguez wants to get his feet wet at 122 pounds, he should fight Nakatani first to earn the right to fight Inoue (33-0, 27 KOs). He added that Rodriguez wouldn\u2019t reach a fight against Inoue because Nakatani would blast him inside eight rounds, doubling down on a similar statement he made last year.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that by Inoue giving us the rematch, he’d make more money, and it’d be a bigger event in Japan than with him fighting Rodriguez,\u201d said Hernandez. \u201cI hope it happens. I also believe that the rematch is more feasible \u2014 let\u2019s do it in December, and let the better man win.\u201d <\/p>\n Manouk Akopyan is The Ring\u2019s lead writer. Follow him on X <\/a>and Instagram<\/a>: @ManoukAkopyan<\/p>\n