There is every chance a Inoue Nakatani first fight may ignite in the Tokyo Dome when that first bell goes for round one.
Or at least not long after.
On paper, which counts usually for little in world championship professional boxing, where passion and energy has a funny way often of trumping conventional wisdom by exacting underdog wins more often than maybe any sport, one punch can change it all.
Not just at heavyweight but in big stage fights between the best little guy boxers in the world like Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani as well.
Both these boxers are highly accomplished and adept athletes and technical sweet science experts at the highest level of pro boxing.
They have seen it all but this is not a typical day in the office for either.
This is a bout that has been building all around them both personally for years not only in Japan but worldwide as well, certainly in the US fans have pushed for it.
Be careful what you wish for. You just might see it happen sooner or later.
People in Japan rest assured will have been on the cases in recent weeks of both Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani personally ahead of the fight in Japan.
It is that big a fight for both.
Both are in serious danger in Japan when they get in there in the fight and they know it too.
They can’t hide and there is nowhere for either of them to run now.
Rest assured on that as well.
Because of all this even though the technical clash of their boxing styles suggest it might be cagey early on, and it could be, that can all change in a split second.
The sheer rivalry, the all Japanese nature of the clash and the sheer atmosphere of the 55,000 fans that will be in the Tokyo Dome will surely lift both boxers at least a bit.
This has to result at some point in both throwing caution to the wind at least a little bit and looking to land meaningful, significant, damaging shots on the other foe in front of them.
Nakatani might just take out an iron bar or a baseball bat out of his back pocket and surprise Inoue with a thunderous baseball-bat-like or iron-bar-like right hand if Inoue is not careful and comes on too aggressively early on.
Expect a Inoue Nakatani fire fight at least at some points.
Don’t forget the weight adjustment Nakatani 122 pounds move – it could benefit him against Inoue today.
