Takuma Inoue and Tenshin Nasukawa are back where it all started – under the bright lights of Tokyo – with a world title and a score to settle.
On Sunday, Sept. 27, at Toyota Arena Tokyo, the WBC bantamweight champion Inoue defends his belt in a rematch that has gripped Japanese boxing. The first meeting last November was supposed to be Nasukawa’s coronation as a full-time boxer. Instead, it became Inoue’s night, as he outboxed the former kickboxing prodigy over the distance to claim the vacant title and hand Nasukawa his first professional boxing defeat.
Now they run it back, with far more on the line than just a green belt.
Inoue the champion, Nasukawa the hunter
Inoue (22-2, 5 KOs) has quietly built a serious résumé in the shadow of his more famous brother, pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue. Since lifting the vacant WBC bantamweight crown against Nasukawa, he’s done what champions are supposed to do: defend.
Kazuto Ioka was the first to test him as champion, and Inoue passed that examination, keeping hold of the title and tightening his grip on the division.
Nasukawa (8-1, 3 KOs) took a different route. The loss to Inoue could have stalled his momentum as one of Japan’s most hyped crossover stars. Instead, it sharpened him. He fought his way back into contention and, in April, stopped former two-division champion Juan Francisco Estrada in a WBC eliminator. That win didn’t just restore his credibility; it kicked the door back open to a second shot at Inoue and the world title.
The stakes are obvious. For Inoue, this is about authority – proving the first win was no one-off. For Nasukawa, it’s about redemption and validation as a top-tier boxer, not just a kickboxing legend trying his hand in a new sport.
Date, time, and how to watch
The card unfolds in Tokyo on Sunday, Sept. 27, with the event scheduled to begin at 3:30 a.m. ET. Ring walks for Inoue vs. Nasukawa 2 are expected at around 7 a.m. ET, a breakfast-time main event for fans in the United States and a prime-time showcase at home in Japan.
In the U.S., the full card streams live on DAZN. In Japan, the event airs on Prime Video, turning Sunday into a national fight day.
The odds: champion’s edge
The bookmakers have made their call. Inoue enters as a clear favorite to retain his WBC bantamweight title, sitting at around -260 with U.S. sportsbooks. Nasukawa, at roughly +200, is the underdog again – a dangerous one, armed with the lessons of 12 hard rounds and the confidence of a statement win over Estrada.
Inoue’s edge on the cards last time has translated into an edge on the line this time. Nasukawa’s job is to tear that script up.
A stacked Tokyo undercard
The main event headlines, but the rest of the card makes this more than a one-fight show.
Former IBF bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida (11-1, 2 KOs) meets Australia’s Sam Goodman (22-1, 8 KOs) for the IBF interim super bantamweight title in a matchup loaded with consequences. The winner will be well placed for a future shot at undisputed champion Naoya Inoue, adding a layer of family intrigue to an already compelling night.
Two more world title bouts round out a deep bill.
Undefeated Tomoya Tsuboi (3-0, 2 KOs) steps into a huge opportunity early in his career, facing Ricardo Malajika (17-2, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBC super flyweight championship. It’s a classic clash between a rising talent and a seasoned puncher with knockout power.
Then comes a battle of unbeatens at strawweight: Ryusei Matsumoto (8-0, 4 KOs) against Russell Acosta (17-0, 13 KOs) for the WBO interim strawweight title. Someone’s perfect record disappears, and someone walks away with a belt and real leverage in one of boxing’s most unforgiving divisions.
From top to bottom, Tokyo has a card built for consequences.
On Sunday, though, all eyes will narrow to one ring, one rivalry, and one question: can Takuma Inoue close the door on Tenshin Nasukawa for good, or is this the night the kickboxing icon finally completes his transformation into a world boxing champion?
