SAITAMA, Japan (AP) — Naoya Inoue stopped Nonito Donaire midway through the second round Tuesday night, emphatically winning their rematch and unifying three bantamweight world titles.
Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs) wasted no time in his second meeting with Donaire, knocking down the veteran champion at the end of the first round and again midway through the second. Inoue's relentless pressure and power ended the fight at 1:24 in Saitama Super Arena outside Tokyo.
Inoue added Donaire's WBC belt to his own WBA and IBF straps with his fourth consecutive stoppage victory. The Japanese star is considered one of the world's top pound-for-pound talents. He hopes to unify all four major bantamweight titles if he can land a fight with WBO bantamweight champ Paul Butler of England later this year.
Inoue abruptly dropped Donaire with a short right hand moments before the bell to end the first round. Donaire got up comfortably, but Inoue piled on the pressure in the second round and hurt Donaire with a series of accurate shots.
After a short left hand put Donaire on wobbly legs in the center of the ring early in the second round, Inoue finished him in the corner with a right-left combination that dropped Donaire to his back on the canvas.
Inoue and Donaire first met in November 2019 in the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight final in the same arena. Donaire surprised much of the boxing world with his tenacious performance against his younger, favored opponent.
Inoue later revealed his orbital bone had been broken by Donaire’s left hook in the second round, and he fought through facial cuts to knock down Donaire in the 11th round on his way to a victory by unanimous decision.
In the rematch, Inoue wasted no time or energy in finishing his Filipino-American opponent, who will turn 40 later this year. Donaire has held world titles in four divisions during his 21-year professional career.
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