A Naoya Inoue chin check may come early in the big fight in Tokyo vs Junto Nakatani. Why he must be ready for it more than ever.
The Naoya Inoue chin has been tested many times and sometimes it has been found to have failed with him hurt and on the deck.
However he has always battled through or got up to win which is a sign of a solid boxing champion.
Nakatani has nothing to lose against Inoue, that will make him dangerous. Nakatani comes into this in the eyes of many in the US, Japan and worldwide as a big underdog.
The main test for his punch resistance with the more explosive Nakatani moving up in weight with more power than ever will be right in round one.
Sure, there might be a little chess and a tactical initial process in round one but not for long we think. If Nakatani is smart he will look to let go accurate and sizeable shots and combinations as soon as he can in round one.
It is seldom that Inoue is caught cold but it can happen him and this is something surely in the mind of Nakatani when he walks through that Tokyo Dome packed to the rafters with screaming fans for him.
He is maybe the more likable character for Japanese fans who will be there and if there is more support for anyone, also as underdog, it will be for him possibly over Naoya Inoue.
This could inspire him early doors and left him a notch or two in terms of trying to test that Inoue chin early.
We think he has to do this in the first two rounds for sure to be in with any sort of chance to defeat the more powerful Inoue as he must get his attention with something early on and then look to impose whatever game plan or strategy he has for Inoue after that.
If Inoue thinks he can just walk through Nakatani early on that will hinder any technical adjustments Nakatani might try to make or game plan he has in the contest.
It will be a boxing match first and foremost rather than a slug fest but both can punch for little guys.
That Naoya Inoue chin check has to be brought about right from the get go from Nakatani in our view.
He can if he starts fast but he’ll have to come all guns blazing right from bell one to the final bell.
