EL PASO, Texas (April 23, 2024) – Former Mexican two-time world champion Luis Nery knows things aren’t going his way, but this isn’t the first time it’s happened. and he is very sad in Tokyo.
Neri will challenge heavyweight king Naoya “The Monster” Inoue on Monday, May 6, at the Tokyo Dome for the world championship.
This will be the first boxing match at “The Big Egg” since February 1990, when James Buster Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in the 10th round to capture Wang Guiguan’s heavyweight title, one of serious problems in sports.
Inoue-Neri and three other world title fights will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 4 am ET/1 am PT.
In the co-main event, Australian Jason Mehem Moloney (27-2, 19 KOs) will defend his title against former Taekwondo world champion Yoshiki Takei (8-0, 8 KOs) WBO bantamweight title of the world. Naoya’s younger brother Takuma Inoue (19 wins, 1 loss, 5 KOs) will compete against former world title contenders Sho Ishida (34 wins, 3 losses, 17 KOs) and Seigo Aoi (19 wins, 2 losses, 1 loss) for the WBA bantamweight title.
Luis Nery: “If Mike Tyson Can Lose His Unbeaten Record At Tokyo Dome, So Can Naoya Inoue!” https://t.co/lXDzPVIveE
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) April 23, 2024
Neri (35-1, 27 KOs) defeated Shinsuke Yamanaka to win the WBC bantamweight world title in August 2017, but lost the title the following year after losing weight for the collision. He moved up to junior featherweight and won the WBC belt against Aaron Alameda in September 2020. Since that loss, Nery is 4-0 with three fights, including a knockout 11-round loss to Azat Hovhannisyan at Fight of the Year last February. Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a four-division world champion looking to defend his undisputed title after defeating one-time world champions Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales in last year.
After a training session in El Paso, Texas, Nery said:
– This is the highest level a hero can reach. It’s like soccer players who spend their whole lives preparing for the World Cup. it’s the same. This is more than just a world championship. It has four belts. This cannot be denied.
——I have wanted to fight him for three years. Fortunately, an opportunity has arisen, and we’re taking it seriously. He is a great warrior. He is one of the heroes. He is very fast. He is strong. But he also has weaknesses that can take some beating.
“I am the only one who can beat Inoue because I have good strength, I can beat, I am brave and I am willing to die under punishment. I am a hero, most importantly, I am a hero. . I like fighting in the ring. But, I like the answers. If the fight agrees, if the fighter and the character agree, I will do it. I will adapt to any type of fight in order to win.
——I don’t think Inoue will be in this fight. If I were in his position, I would not agree. It would do him no good to kill me. In fact, he lost everything. I have nothing to lose. I’m not a hero. I’m not at the top of my game like he is. I will fight for every shot. Everything came out. I like to take risks, I like to die in the ring.
– This is a big fight. It deserves to be in a stadium like the Tokyo Dome. I think this is a sign. If Mike Tyson loses his undefeated record there, so can Naoya Inoue. Now, Mike Tyson is a monster. He must be a murderer. So, I’m glad they’re playing at the Tokyo Dome.
——I win by knocking. There is no other way. I knew he or I would be banned. But I know he will stop.
