Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani at Tokyo Dome in 2026 would be a monumental event for Japanese boxing.
The overhype machine operates 24/7 in boxing. In every decade, publicists, broadcasters, writers and fans proclaim any number of title bouts will be the Fight of the Century. Matching that type of hype is nearly impossible.
But a proposed Inoue-Nakatani showdown sometime next year has the makings of a super fight, one that captivates Japanese boxing fans ― and a global audience ― on a massive scale. And the proposed locale (Tokyo Dome) would be ideal for the occasion.
Undisputed super bantamweight champion Inoue (29-0, 26 knockouts) was named the Japan Boxing Commission Fighter of the Year for the seventh year in a row. He received the award on Monday night during the JBC's annual awards ceremony, which was held at Tokyo Dome Hotel.
On the same night, Nakatani (30-0, 23 KOs) took home accolades for Best Knockout of the Year and Best Technique.
In addition to their glitzy awards, Inoue and Nakatani made headlines for their words to one another at the ceremony.
Displaying a showman's promotional acumen, Inoue grabbed everyone's attention in the banquet room.
"I want to do the best I can this year for the big domestic match that lots of fans and people around the sport have been talking about," Inoue told the assembled crowd.
"Mr Nakatani, a year later at Tokyo Dome, let's lift the mood around Japanese boxing together."
How did Nakatani respond to "Monster" Inoue's challenge?
"Sure, let's do it," said the 29-year-old WBC bantamweight champion.
The Path to a Blockbuster Boxing Bout
What's next for Inoue?
His four super bantamweight titles will be put to the test against American challenger Ramon Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs) on May 4 in Las Vegas.
If he defeats Cardenas, Inoue is slated to fight Uzbek veteran Murodjon Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs) on September 14 in Tokyo.
The year started off on a winning note for both Inoue and Nakatani.
On January 24, Inoue recorded a fourth-round knockout of South Korean Ye Joon Kim, a late injury replacement, at Tokyo's Ariake Arena.
Nakatani earned a third-round stoppage of Mexico's David Cuellar on February 24 at the same venue. The unbeaten champion's next fight has yet to be announced.
As for a potential showdown in 2026 with Nakatani, Inoue summed up his thoughts on the matter at the awards ceremony.
"If we can come through this year strongly, I believe it will be the most exciting bout between Japanese in the country's boxing history," Inoue declared.
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- Naoya Inoue Defends Super Bantamweight Titles with a 4th-Round KO of Ye Joon Kim
Olympics
Tashima Could Become the JOC's Next President
Longtime former Japan Football Association president Kozo Tashima is in the running to become the next president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Kyodo News recently reported.
A new executive will take over in June for a two-year term, formally replacing Yasuhiro Yamashita. A gold medalist judoka at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Yamashita has coped with a cervical vertebrae injury since October 2023, according to the news agency.
As a result, Yuko Mitsuya, the JOC's vice president, has filled in as acting president.
Tashima has extensive experience within the JOC's leadership ranks, serving on its executive board from 2007-21.
Golf
Baba Playing Well in 1st Season on LPGA Tour
Teenager Saki Baba, an LPGA Tour rookie, made the cut in each of her first two starts to open the 2025 season.
Baba finished tied for 17th in the Blue Bay LPGA event in Hainan Island, China, on March 9, carding a 3-under 285.
In her second tournament, the 19-year-old shot an 18-under 270 at the Ford Championship in Chandler, Arizona, tying for sixth. She had her best round of the event on the final day with a 6-under 66 on Sunday, March 30.
Baba had seven birdies against one bogey in the fourth round. She made her final birdie on Sunday on the 17th hole.
"I had a really good first half [in today's round], and I was disappointed to bogey the 10th," Baba said on live TV, Tokyo Sports reported. "But from there, I was able to get [shots] in where I wanted to get in, and even the second shot on the 17th put me in a good position."
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Soccer
Former J.League MVP Domingues Dies at 41
Brazilian midfielder Leandro Domingues, who helped Kashiwa Reysol win the 2011 J.League title, died on Tuesday, April 1 of testicular cancer. He was 41.
Domingues played for Reysol from 2010-14. He scored 15 goals in 2011 and earned the J.League MVP Award. He also suited up for Nagoya Grampus (2014-15) and Yokohama FC (2017-20).
J.League chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura paid tribute to Domingues in a statement.
"I remember well how the atmosphere in the stadium changed when Leandro Domingues held the ball and the anticipation of what was to come," Nonomura said.
"Many players, not only from my own team but also from opposing teams, were inspired by Leandro Domingues's attitude toward soccer and his creative play, which led to friendly competition and helped raise the standard of the J.League."
The chairman added, "The J.League, J.League clubs and the J.League family extend our heartfelt thanks and condolences to Leandro Domingues for leading the J.League for more than 10 years."
Domingues began his pro soccer career playing for Brazilian club Vitoria in 2001 and left his mark on the game in his homeland.
"Leandro was always a true maestro on the field, demonstrating determination and passion for the club," the team said in a statement. "His legacy of strength, dedication, and the example of a true gentleman will continue to inspire generations."
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Basketball
B-Corsairs Making Improvements of Late
In their last five games, the B.League's Yokohama B-Corsairs have won four times, including three in a row.
First-year coach Lassi Tuovi's club improved to 21-26 after a 78-61 win over the Ibaraki Robots on Sunday, March 30.
The B-Corsairs outscored the visitors 41-29 in the second half.
Yokohama forward Gary Clark finished with a team-best 17 points and Kai King poured in 14 points.
The B-Corsairs, who face the visiting Shimane Susanoo Magic on April 5-6, are on track to surpass their win total from the 2023-24 season when they had a 24-26 record.
It appears the team is making incremental progress as the season winds down.
For instance, a 27-point offensive outburst in the second quarter against the Robots in the series finale erased the hosts' six-point deficit after one quarter.
"I felt in the second quarter we started to play a little bit better on offense," Tuovi told reporters, assessing his team's performance. "So we just decided when there's so many games in two weeks and our third game this week that we cannot control [if] the shot is dropping or not, but we can focus on defense and put more effort and rotate more players [into the game]. And that was a team victory."
A pair of four-game losing streaks earlier in the season eliminated the B-Corsairs from the playoff chase, but a solid finish could help them build a stronger foundation for the 2025-26 campaign.
Baseball
Newcomer Tanaka Earns First Win with the Giants
Yomiuri Giants starter Masahiro Tanaka, who spent the past four seasons with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, won his first start of the 2025 NPB season.
Tanaka pitched five innings of one-run ball on Thursday, April 3 against the Chunichi Dragons. He allowed five hits, walked three and struck out one in Nagoya. It was his 198th career win (NPB and MLB).
The 36-year-old made his NPB debut with Rakuten in 2007. He pitched for the New York Yankees from 2014-20 before returning to his former club.
On Thursday, he moved closer to his stated goal of 200 career wins. Tanaka now has a 120-68 win-loss record in NPB.
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Quote of the Week
"It's where we want him to be, and I think that's going to bear some good fruit here. He has the power to hit home runs everywhere, and that's what's fun to see. The raw power, Seiya is probably No 1 on the team and so just getting the ball in the air wherever is a good thing for Seiya."
―Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell on Seiya Suzuki's more aggressive approach at the plate this season, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Suzuki smacked a pair of home runs (raising his season total to four) against the Oakland Athletics on April 2 in West Sacramento, California.
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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