Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan (L) and Ramon Cardenas pose throughout an official weigh-in at MGM Grand Resort & On line casino on Could 03, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Inoue is scheduled to defend his titles towards Cardenas at T-Cell Area in Las Vegas on Could 4. Steve Marcus/Getty Pictures/AFP
LAS VEGAS — All 4 main boxing junior featherweight belts sat in entrance of the combatants on Thursday, however Ramon Cardenas wouldn’t have a look at them “as a result of they’re not mine but.”
He hopes to take these belts from Naoya Inoue and, properly, good luck with that.
READ: Naoya Inoue to finish four-year Las Vegas absence, faces Ramon Cardenas
The Japanese sensation nicknamed “Monster” is a gigantic favourite in his return to Las Vegas. He’s again for the primary time since twice preventing on the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, first in a no-fans-allowed bubble after which inside a resort theater.
Neither is something like T-Cell Area the place on Sunday evening the 32-year-old Inoue (29-0, 26 knockouts) will face Cardenas, a 29-year-old from San Antonio who’s 26-1 with 14 KOs.
The co-main occasion is one other title bout. WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs) of Mexico goes towards Edward Vazquez (17-2, 4 KOs) of Fort Value, Texas.
READ: Naoya Inoue promoter desires him to get Shohei Ohtani-style love
Inoue is a -10000 favourite at BetMGM Sportsbook and -900 to finish the combat early, however he additionally is aware of he gained’t take pleasure in a house crowd like he would at Tokyo Dome. Inoue is also preventing on Cinco de Mayo weekend moderately than somebody like Canelo Alvarez, the gang favourite who usually takes middle stage in Las Vegas right now however this weekend is competing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan (L) holds his title belts as he poses with Ramon Cardenas throughout an official weigh-in at MGM Grand Resort & On line casino on Could 03, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Steve Marcus/Getty Pictures/AFP
Inoue stated by way of an interpreter he didn’t know what to anticipate relating to the gang, calling the match “an away recreation.”
“The best state of affairs is to indicate the American followers my boxing and to win with a knockout,” Inoue stated. “However greater than something, I need everybody to see what they haven’t been capable of see reside in Japan.”
READ: Naoya Inoue starvation not but sated even after unifying second weight division
He has achieved legendary standing in his homeland and hasn’t been taken the gap in additional than 5 years, changing into a four-division champion and the undisputed champ in two weight lessons.
UNDISPUTED OFFICIAL.
The Monster takes @ESPN Sunday at 10PM ET 👹 pic.twitter.com/2OCjFKJBKl
— High Rank Boxing (@trboxing) Could 3, 2025
Returning to the U.S. is Inoue’s likelihood to introduce himself to a brand new fan base, and having the combat on ESPN moderately than pay-per-view will assist him attain a wider viewers. U.S. followers will get an opportunity to see what all of the hype is about. A formidable efficiency wouldn’t put him on the identical stage of fame on this nation as his compatriot Shohei Ohtani, however it will be a begin.
It’s additionally a giant alternative for Cardenas, who is aware of what an upset victory would imply to his profession. He hasn’t been in this sort of ambiance, and ever since watching Floyd Mayweather Jr. win by break up choice over Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 in Las Vegas, Cardenas has needed to compete within the combat capital of the world.
Now he has his likelihood. And in the primary occasion.
“Combating for a world title is one factor, however preventing for undisputed is greater than I might have ever requested for,” Cardenas stated. “That makes me hungry. That makes me need it extra.”
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He isn’t blind to the problem that lies in entrance of him and spoke respectfully of Inoue, however that doesn’t imply Cardenas plans to be his opponent’s punching bag.
“I’m not coming right here to gather a verify, and that proper there makes me harmful,” Cardenas stated. “If I used to be right here to gather a verify, I wouldn’t present up, however I’m right here and I’m right here to win.”
