Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire 1 rewind

When Naoya Inoue faced Nonito Donaire in the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight final in November 2019 to unify two world titles, nobody expected it to be such a back-and-forth battle. Inoue, the younger fighter and one rapidly ascending the pound-for-pound rankings, was coming off eight straight stoppage victories. Donaire had just returned to the 118-pound division after losing to Carl Frampton in a challenge for an interim featherweight belt.

But someone forgot to tell Donaire — who eventually lost a decision to Inoue –that he was still a force to be reckoned with in the division. The fight was so exciting from start to finish that it was named the 2019 ESPN fight of the year.

Almost three years later, Inoue and Donaire will meet again to unify three bantamweight world titles Tuesday in Saitama, Japan (ESPN+, 5:30 a.m. ET, with the main event expected at 8:15 a.m. ET).

Since the first fight, Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) has scored KO victories over Jason Moloney, Michael Dasmarinas and Aran Diapen to defend his WBA and IBF titles. Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) has collected two KO victories in the fourth round, one against Nordine Oubaali to win the WBC belt.

While many experts viewed the first matchup as a possible abrupt end to Donaire’s Hall of Fame career, his pride, experience, pugilistic skills and enormous will made the bout a memorable part of boxing’s deep history.

What made that fight so memorable? I rewatched the fight and scored it round-by-round, analyzing the big moments — from an incredible Round 5 for Inoue, to a Donaire resurgence after that and the adjustments Inoue made in the last few rounds to win.

Round 1: It was an extremely tactical round for both boxers, but Inoue was instantly able to get things going with his level-changing offense. This tactic delivered three essential things. One, landing a jab to the body assisted him in establishing his range and proper distance right away. Two, it quickly brought down Donaire’s defense as he defended the jab. Three, it helped Inoue find the target immediately.

Donaire did his best to change his positioning by swiftly shuffling in and out of range to create distance deception. However, a hard right-hand counter by Inoue hit Donaire after a careless jab. Inoue also took the initiative instead of taking the role of the counterpuncher, beating Donaire to the punch with several combinations. Donaire closed the round strong, with his forward pressure changing the tempo and showing his physical strength and tenacity. But it wasn’t enough. 10-9 for Inoue.

Judge Luigi Boscarelli: 10-9 Inoue
Judge Robert Hoyle: 10-9 Inoue
Judge Octavio Rodriguez: 10-9 Inoue

Round 2: Donaire made a minor adjustment by starting out using subtle lateral movements to change his rhythm and positioning. To no surprise, Inoue converted to a back-foot counterpuncher, looking for any Donaire mistake. Donaire marched forward, looking to time and draw some offense from Inoue so he could counter with his signature left hook. Inoue made a quick guard change that created a slight hesitation in Donaire’s approach as Inoue’s jab began to find its mark. However, neither fighter would give an inch. Donaire started pressing harder, forcing Inoue to the ropes and attacking the weak side (jab side), which pushed Inoue toward his left hook. Inoue made the mistake of being trapped on the ropes and dropping to get under punches. But when Inoue popped right up as he threw a left hook, he left his right guard down. Donaire countered with his left hook, hurting Inoue and sending him into survival mode. A leisurely round to score. 10-9 Donaire (19-19 total).

Judge Luigi Boscarelli: 10-9 Donaire (19-19)
Judge Robert Hoyle: 10-9 Donaire (19-19)
Judge Octavio Rodriguez: 10-9 Inoue (20-18 Inoue)

Round 3: Shortly after the fight, it was announced that Inoue had suffered a fractured right eye socket caused by a big left hook by Donaire that landed at the end of Round 2. Inoue’s body language in this round indicated that he was having trouble seeing out of his right eye, and he covered the eye with his right glove. Donaire came on strong, looking to inflict more damage, but inexplicably abandoned his jab, creating missed opportunities. Inoue’s impaired vision affected his accuracy, as his punches were off the mark. Still, he instinctively realized he needed to hit his target for the momentum to shift, as Donaire started covering ground quickly. Inoue began to move laterally to his left, forcing Donaire to reset his feet. Staying away from Donaire’s left…