Former World Heavyweight Champion’s Bold Prediction, One Sided Outlook on Naoya Inoue vs Nery Showdown

Of course, I am not aware of the fact that Nery was using banned substances when he won the first fight against Yamanaka in August ’17 by KO in four rounds, the fact that he was stripped of the belt in the rematch in March ’18 for being 5 pounds (2.268 kg) over the weight, or, The fact that he was 0.5 pounds over the previous day’s weigh-in for the WBC bantamweight silver title fight against Payano in July ’19, without learning his lesson, In November 2019, he was unable to build a bantamweight physique, and told the story of how he lost a match.

In short, he’s the type of guy who can’t get himself in the right condition.Sometimes I see guys who fight just by feeling.I can’t believe that this guy takes boxing seriously.But he still deserves a chance. That means it has some commercial value.However, with this, it won’t be able to compete with Inoue.

Tim then looked at the fight in which Nery beat Aaron Alameda by decision to win the WBC super bantamweight title, followed by a unification with WBA champion Brandon Figueroa, in which he lost by seventh-round KO.

I guess both Nery and Alameda were unanimous decision winners. Nery was moving better at this time than he did against Payano. Maybe he is free from his weight loss struggles. He is hitting a sharp jab and his straight from distance is not bad. But his defense is difficult. His head movement is one-patterned, so it is easy for Inoue to target him.

He may have been a hard puncher at bantam, but at 122 pounds, he doesn’t give that impression as if he was. He needs to twist his shoulders and hips more to strike, or he won’t be able to put weight on his fists. It’s more of a hand strike than you’d think. And his hips are too high. He should lower his center of gravity more. He doesn’t move much after striking.

Nery, who currently has 35 wins (27 KOs) and 1 loss, had the following to say about the fight against Figueroa, which was his only loss.

As the rounds went on, Nery’s punches were getting harder and harder to carry his weight, and his left and right hooks were swinging too much. That’s why I got cut down in the close rounds, because I was getting hit by Figueroa’s punches. The body blows were working. The last shot that knocked me out was also a left body uppercut. He seems to be a fighter who has repeatedly put himself over his weight, so he has a weak stomach. If he gets hit by Inoue’s body, he’ll probably faint in agony.

In addition, Nery defeated Armenian Azat Hovhannisyan in February 2023 with an 11th round knockout, and in July of the same year he defeated Filipino fighter Froilan Saludar in his home country of Mexico in two rounds. The 2nd match was also streamed on YouTube.

 

He said, Nery against Hovhannisyan is still swinging wide and his guard is down. He’s a very arrogant fighter. He was still in the middle of the ring with his knees stretched out and sticking out. I also notice scenes where he stops moving and observes his opponent.

I don’t know much about  Hovhannisyan, but he’s 35 years old and has three losses. His one world title challenge was in May ’18, that’s quite a while ago. Frankly, it looks like he is already on the downhill slope. He has been calling for easy opponents for the Saludar fight as well. It’s a stunt by the promoter to beat him in front of the fans in his homeland with a bang. I get the feeling that the match has been made up with a lot of care.

Tim looked at the WBC belt that was sitting in the corner of his room and said with a sigh.

Even a man who has been penalized multiple times can still have a chance to make money if the promoter likes him. Political power and luck greatly influence a boxer’s life. You don’t have to be a true champion to become a world champion. I can’t do it, man.

However, after a dozen seconds of silence, Tim returned to his usual cheerful expression.

But this time, Inoue will beat Nery. The level of skill, speed, and punching power is much different. The “Japanese Monster” is fast and sharp. Even if Nery tries to fight rough, he will be able to twist and turn him.

If Inoue wanted to, he could kill him in seconds. He’s a smart beast. I think it will be one-sided and will end by KO. The quadruple champion will easily defend his title in about two rounds. Nery has no chance. He’s going to take a lot of damage.

Tim concluded.

Inoue has made his own era. That’s a big deal.

On May 6 at the Tokyo Dome, Naoya Inoue will make another mark. He is truly a living legend.

Click here to purchase Soichi Hayashi’s book “Fist of Minority” about Tim Withaspoon’s life.