Takuma Inoue remains the WBC bantamweight world champion after defeating Tenshin Nasukawa in their highly anticipated rematch on Sunday at Toyota Arena in Tokyo.
The victory sees Inoue successfully defend his 118-pound championship and beat Nasukawa for the second time, adding another important chapter to their rivalry.
The two Japanese fighters first met in November 2025, when Inoue earned a unanimous decision victory over Nasukawa after 12 rounds. That result handed Nasukawa the first defeat of his professional boxing career.
Since that fight, both fighters returned to the ring with something to prove. Inoue strengthened his position as champion with a unanimous decision victory over former world champion Kazuto Ioka, scoring two knockdowns during the fight.
Nasukawa, meanwhile, earned another opportunity at the WBC title after defeating former world champion Juan Francisco Estrada by technical knockout in a WBC eliminator. The performance put him back into position for another shot at Inoue.
The rematch therefore carried significant importance for both men. Inoue was looking to maintain his championship reign, while Nasukawa entered the fight with another chance to claim his first world title.
Inoue had also entered the contest with a 22-2 record and five knockouts, while Nasukawa came in at 8-1 with three knockouts. Both fighters made the bantamweight limit ahead of the championship fight.
This time, Inoue once again found a way to come out on top. He retained the WBC belt by unanimous decision, surviving a seventh-round knockdown from Nasukawa before finishing the fight strongly enough to secure the judges’ decision.
The judges scored the contest 116-111, 116-111 and 114-113 in favor of Inoue.
For Nasukawa, the defeat is another setback against the same opponent, but his run back to another world-title opportunity showed how quickly he has developed since moving into professional boxing.
For Inoue, the result further establishes his position as WBC bantamweight champion and gives him another major victory over one of Japan’s most prominent boxing names.
The focus now turns to what comes next for both fighters. Inoue will move forward as the reigning WBC bantamweight champion, while Nasukawa will have to regroup following his second defeat to the champion.
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