Luis ‘Pantera’ Nery believes that Naoya Inoue is overrated and assured that the fight for the undisputed junior featherweight championship in the hands of the Japanese will end by knockout on May 6 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
In an interview with BoxingScene, Pantera Nery expressed that Inoue He is a great fighter, but normal and ordinary like any other in his opinion. Furthermore, the Mexican made it clear that the fight will end before the 12 rounds and anyone could deliver the knockout blow.
“Inoue is a very good fighter and this is the most important fight of my career: there are four titles at stake. But I’ve seen his fights and I think he’s overrated. I think he’s a normal fighter, or at least that’s what he seems to me. I go there looking for the knockout. “I’m not going to go to Japan looking for a decision,” he said.
“I have the typical Mexican style. I like to introduce myself. I like to throw punches. I am prepared to last 12 rounds. But I hope it doesn’t reach 12 rounds. I want it to end early. They will see a conditioned, stronger, faster and more intelligent Nery who hits hard. (…) I have no idea what punch, what round, but the fight will definitely end in a knockout.. Either I knock him out or he knocks me out. He probably has the chin to take my power,” she added.
Pantera Nery became the WBC’s number one contender after knocking out Azat Hovhannisyan in the 11th round last February in Pomona, California. Now the Mexican fighter will face the Japanese with the intention of becoming undisputed at 122 pounds.
Instead, Naoya Inoue moved up to the junior featherweight division and knocked out Stephen Fulton last June to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) belts. Five months later he repeated the result against Marlon Tapales to snatch the titles of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF), and add his second undisputed championship in different weights that he will defend for the first time against the Mexican.
Luis ‘Pantera’ Nery, 28, became the WBC’s mandatory challenger this year and He has a record of 35 wins (27 by fast track) and one setback in his professional career.
For her part, Naoya Inoue, 30, became the undisputed junior featherweight monarch and confirmed his place as one of the best boxers in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Japanese has a record of 26 victories (23 of them by knockout) and no defeats.
Keep reading:
· Naoya Inoue analyzes complicated fight with Pantera Nery: “Anyone can fall”
· Luis ‘Pantera’ Nery is sure that he will beat Naoya Inoue: “I’m going to make it a mess”
· Naoya Inoue and Luis ‘Pantera’ Nery agree to fight for May, according to reports