Takuma Inoue earned a 12-round victory by unanimous decision against Tenshin Nasukawa for the vacant WBC bantamweight title on Monday night, November 24.
The WBC title was up for grabs after unbeaten champion Junto Nakatani left the bantamweight division, moving up to super bantamweight in September. Nakatani also held the IBF bantamweight title, and that title is still vacant.
Inoue (21-2, five knockouts) unanimously won the third, fourth, sixth, seventh, 10th and 11th rounds, according to all three judges' scorecards at Toyota Arena Tokyo.
"It was precisely because I faced Tenshin that I could push myself this hard and prepare so thoroughly. He was truly strong," the younger brother of undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue said after the title fight, according to Tokyo Sports.
Nasukawa, a former kickboxer, got the nod on all three judges' scorecards for only two frames, the first and second rounds.
Other rounds had split scoring, with both fighters getting the nod by at least one judge.
The three judges declared Inoue the winner on points (116-112, 117-111 and 116-112).
Adding intrigue to the in-the-ring action was the use of the WBC's open scoring system, in which the judges' scores were announced following the fourth and eighth rounds.
Heading into Round 5, the fighters were tied 38-38 on points, according to the three scorecards. Entering Round 9, Inoue had built a slight lead, all three judges declared.
Inoue's punching power, aggressive tactics and boxing savvy combined to fend off the younger fighter's winning aspirations.
The 27-year-old Nasukawa slipped to 7-1 (two KOs).
Sports Success Story: Inoue Becomes Champion Again
In October 2024, the 29-year-old new WBC champ lost his previous bout against Seiya Tsutsumi. At Tokyo's Ariake Arena, Tsutsumi won a unanimous decision in that fight to wrest the WBA bantamweight crown from Inoue. It was Inoue's third title defense.
In April 2023, Inoue became the WBA titleholder (it was vacant) via a unanimous decision over Venezuela's Liborio Solis. He then made two successful title defenses in 2024 before Tsutsumi ended his reign.
Now, a champion once again after Monday's victory in the Japanese capital against Nasukawa, Takuma Inoue shared his reaction.
"I'm relieved. [That] word sums it all up," Inoue commented, according to Kyodo News. "It's a big joy that I was able to beat Tenshin, more than the fact I got a belt back."
Inoue also said he would welcome a future rematch with Nasukawa.
Ski Jumping
Maruyama Claims 1st Career World Cup Win
Nozomi Maruyama excelled at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup meet in Lillehammer, Norway, over the weekend of November 21-23.
On Saturday, Maruyama collected her first career World Cup victory, finishing in first place with top jumps of 133.5 and 130.5 meters. No other woman surpassed 130 meters in the first World Cup individual competition of the 2025-26 season.
"I didn't expect to achieve my first victory here today," the 27-year-old Japanese athlete said after her Saturday victory. "And to be honest, I've surprised myself with the jumps I'm managing to make, as I haven't changed my technique since last season."
A day later, Maruyama won her second individual event in Lillehammer, with impressive distances of 134 meters and 133 meters on her two attempts. She amassed 283.6 points.
"Yesterday's victory was harder; yesterday, the conditions were much more difficult. The wind was stronger and very changeable, but I'm satisfied with my jumps," Maruyama said on Sunday, according to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation website.
"I still have room for improvement in my style marks, so I've set myself the goal of getting even better."
Maruyama also helped Japan triumph in the World Cup mixed team competition on Friday. Along with Maruyama, teammates Yuki Ito, Ryoyu Kobayashi and Ren Nikaido participated in the event.
Baseball
Ohtani to Play for Japan in 2026 WBC
Shohei Ohtani will play for reigning champion Samurai Japan at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar announced on social media on Monday, November 24.
"I am happy to be able to represent Japan again," Ohtani wrote in a post on his Instagram account.
Ohtani showcased his unique abilities as a two-way star in the 2023 WBC, earning the MVP award and helping Japan capture the title.
He batted .435 and drove in eight runs in seven games. In three games as a pitcher, he compiled a 2-0 record with a 1.86 ERA. He also earned the save in a 3-2 triumph over the United States in the championship game, working a scoreless ninth inning.
The pride of Iwate Prefecture also expressed gratitude to baseball fans in his social media post.
"Thank you to all the fans for another great season," Ohtani wrote. "I'll train hard and look forward to seeing you all next year."
Japan faces Taiwan in its WBC opener in a Group C game on March 6, 2026, at Tokyo Dome.
Figure Skating
Japan Well Represented at Upcoming GP Final
After the completion of the six 2025 Grand Prix Series events in October and November, qualification is wrapped up for December's Grand Prix Final.
Only six men, six women, six pairs and six ice dance teams earned enough points to earn berths in the GP Final, which will be held December 4-7 in Nagoya.
In the men's competition, two-time world champion Ilia Malinin of the United States headlines the lineup. He'll be joined by Japan's Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato, along with France's Adam Siao Him Fa, Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov and Italy's Daniel Grassl. Japan's Kazuki Tomono is the first alternate.
Kagiyama triumphed at the Finlandia Trophy on November 22 to punch his ticket to the GP Final. The 2022 Olympic silver medalist finished with 270.45 points in Helsinki for a comfortable margin over runner-up Siao Him Fa (256.98).
Despite the victory, Kagiyama considered it an uneven performance during the two days of competition.
"Things I couldn't do yesterday came through today, and there were parts where my scores improved," he said, according to Olympics.com. "So I want to carry that forward and keep working hard."
In his other GP assignment, Kagiyama also triumphed at the NHK Trophy earlier in November in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture.
Chiba, Sakamoto Among GP Final Participants
Japan secured four of the six women's berths for the GP Final.
Mone Chiba, winner of Skate Canada International and the Finlandia Trophy, clinched her place in the GP Final while in Helsinki. That made her the overall points leader among women for the six Grand Prix events.
After her Finlandia Trophy triumph on November 22, Chiba said she'll take a step back and focus on training again.
"Going into the Grand Prix Final and into nationals, I want to restart the process and work on the performance again," Chiba was quoted as saying by the International Skating Union website.
Joining Chiba in the women's GP Final competition will be a trio of compatriots ― three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto, Ami Nakai and Rinka Watanabe ― along with Americans Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu.
In the pairs event, two-time world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara will also represent the Hinomaru.
The Junior Grand Prix Final will be held on the aforementioned dates in Nagoya.
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The Last Word
"We practice these scenarios at training, executing in the game when we're under pressure. [And] we did that well today and that was the difference, executing under pressure. That final penalty was a fantastic kick by Seungsin [Lee], particularly when he doesn't kick a lot for his own club team. It was a wonderful kick."
―Japan rugby head coach Eddie Jones, on his team's 25-23 triumph over Georgia on November 22 in Tbilisi. Lee, who also plays for Japan Rugby League One's Kobelco Kobe Steelers, booted a penalty on the last play of the match to seal the win for the Brave Blossoms.
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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