Takuma Inoue Outclasses Kazuto Ioka to Retain WBC Bantamweight Title in Tokyo

Takuma Inoue silenced any lingering doubts about his standing among the world's elite 118-pound fighters with a masterclass unanimous-decision victory over the legendary Kazuto Ioka on Saturday night at the Tokyo Dome. The bout served as the high-stakes co-main event to the historic Naoya Inoue-Junto Nakatani undisputed super-bantamweight showdown. Inoue, the younger brother of Naoya, was ranked as the No. 3 bantamweight in the world by The Ring magazine heading into the contest, while the battle-tested Ioka was rated No. 10 by the publication. Vastly younger and visibly fresher, Inoue dominated Ioka from the opening bell, dropping the former four-division world champion in both the second and third rounds. Facing a 37-year-old legend attempting to become Japan's first male five-weight world champion, Inoue showed ruthless precision and defensive brilliance across all 12 rounds. The official judges' scores of 118-108, 119-107, and 120-106 reflected Inoue's sheer dominance. With the victory, Inoue improves his record to 22-1 (5 KOs) and firmly cements his status as the premier force in the bantamweight division. For the legendary Ioka (32-5-1, 17 KOs), the loss represents a major setback in his quest for a historic fifth divisional crown. Photo credit: The Ring Magazine

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