Inoue vs. Nakatani: What’s it like to fight Nawa Inoue?

In 2020 Jason Moloney was offered the opportunity to face Inoue for the IBF and WBA bantamweight titles at a temporary venue known as ‘The Bubble’ at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The Australian jumped at the chance.

Moloney, who became the WBO bantamweight champion in 2023, described taking Inoue’s best shots.

“It’s like a shocking force,” he says.

“You go into a fight – you know he’s a monster. You’ve seen his knockouts. You’ve heard about his power.

“He was throwing a few, I was catching a few in the glove and I thought ‘It’s OK, it’s nothing I can’t handle’. But when he landed them, they were so crisp.

“It’s a real shock that goes through you just like electricity. They’re not pretty to wear.

“In round eight when I was turning my corner, he hit me with a backhand for two seconds.

“It hit me flush on the chin. I remember the bell ringing and can’t remember a word of what Joe said to me in that corner.

“I remember standing up to go into round nine and thinking ‘Wow, my legs are still shaking’. I still couldn’t feel it.

“It’s more so timing, speed and accuracy.

“It has more all-around power than Deontay Wilder-type power in one shot.”