FOUR world title fights to stream LIVE on ESPN+ MONDAY at 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT – The ringwalks for Inoue vs. Nery are scheduled for 6 a.m. ET / 11 a.m. UK
Akui Schools Kuwahara in a One-Sided Slugfest
In the first round, Kuwahara strutted in like he owned the place. But in the second, Akui hunted him down like a heat-seeking missile with that cracking left jab. He turned those jabs into hooks and lobbed a straight right for good measure. Kuwahara suddenly looked timid—no combos, just basic two-punch efforts. Akui tortured him with the left and battered him with the right. But hey, Kuwahara still had a pulse, so that’s something.
Round 3 promised fireworks, and Akui delivered, storming forward like a ruthless machine. He jabbed like a man possessed, unleashing compact combos to Kuwahara’s head and body. Vicious rights sent Kuwahara reeling late in the round. Despite being a close fight (if you’re Kuwahara’s mom), Akui seemed ready to end it all after 100 seconds. But Kuwahara fought back with a few timid body shots. Still, he was too scared to target the body, probably terrified Akui would snap his chin clean off with a right.
Akui parried Kuwahara’s jabs and rights beautifully, countering with vicious rights. He landed the harder shots, and boy, did they add up. In Round 6, he came out with laser-like focus, hammering Kuwahara with his straight right like a missile. Both men traded body shots, but Akui’s relentless pressure and sweeping hooks made sure Kuwahara had zero hope. Kuwahara tried to flurry late, but it was too little, too late. Classic.
Round 7? More of the same. Akui controlled the pace with fast, hard punches. Kuwahara fought back, but it was like trying to fight a bulldozer with a rubber duck. He lacked any strategy, leaving himself wide open to Akui’s relentless attacks. Though he battled his way back into the contest, Akui still had the upper hand, keeping Kuwahara right where he wanted him.
In the eighth round, Akui’s monstrous combo rocked Kuwahara, who barely kept his feet. Kuwahara occasionally landed a left or two, but Akui answered with brutal rights. By now, Akui was up six rounds to two, and it wasn’t even close.
Round 10 saw Akui land a monster right that left Kuwahara stumbling like a drunken sailor. He cut off the ring magnificently, cracking Kuwahara with looping hooks every time he dared pause. Kuwahara fired back with a furious flurry, but Akui shrugged it off and pounded him around the ring like a speed bag.
In the final round, Kuwahara tried to seize control, but Akui drove him back like a man moving furniture. Akui never looked like he was doing anything but sparring with a quality training partner. He schooled Kuwahara from bell to bell. So, let’s all pretend this was close and give Kuwahara a medal for participation. The final scores: 117-111, 117-111, 118-110 for Akui.
(Watch LIVE on ESPN+, 4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT)
- Naoya Inoue: 121 3/4 lbs | 55.3 kg vs. Luis Nery: 121 lbs | 54.9 kg (Inoue’s Undisputed Junior Featherweight World Title – 12 Rounds, Referee: Michael Griffin, Judges: Benoit Roussel, Jose Roberto Torres, Adam Height) ESTIMATED RING WALK TIME: 7:35 a.m. ET/4:35 a.m. PT
- Jason Moloney: 117 3/4 lbs | 53.5 kg vs. Yoshiki Takei: 117 3/4 lbs | 53.5 kg (Moloney’s WBO Bantamweight World Title — 12 Rounds, Referee: Steve Willis, Judges: Benoit Roussel, Ellis Johnson, Lou Moret) ESTIMATED RING WALK TIME: 6:25 a.m. ET/3:25 a.m. PT
- Takuma Inoue: 117 3/4 lbs | 53.5 kg vs. Sho Ishida: 117 3/4 lbs | 53.5 kg (Inoue’s WBA Bantamweight World Title — 12 Rounds, Referee: Luis Pabon, Judges: Pinit Prayadsab, Kazunobu Asao, Michiaki Someya) ESTIMATED RING WALK TIME: 5:20 a.m. ET/2:20 a.m. PT
Read the full article here
