BoxRec

INOUE-CARDENAS SET FOR MAY 4 AT T-MOBILE ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, INOUE-AKHMADALIEV ON SEPTEMBER 14 IN TOKYO IF INOUE WINS

Naoya Inoue’s next two fights are set.

The Ring has learned that Inoue’s co-promoters, Hideyuki Ohashi and Bob Arum, finalized agreements Thursday for the Japanese superstar to defend his Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 122-pound championships against Ramon Cardenas and Murodjon Akhmadaliev during a four-month span in the spring and summer. If Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) defeats San Antonio’s Cardenas on May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, he will advance to another championship clash with Uzbekistan’s Akhmadaliev on September 14 at a venue to be announced in Tokyo.

Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs) is the WBA’s No. 2, The Ring’s No. 9 and WBO’s No. 10 contender in the 122-pound division, but he is not ranked in the top 15 by the IBF or WBC. Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs) is the WBA’s interim super bantamweight champion and is ranked No. 2 among The Ring’s junior featherweight contenders.

Akhmadaliev’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, and manager, Vadim Kornilov, agreed with Ohashi Promotions and Arum’s Top Rank Inc. on a step-aside fee and an accompanying purse for Inoue to defend his titles against Akhmadaliev if the four-division champion beats Cardenas. The WBA could’ve stripped Inoue of its 122-pound crown had his team not reached an agreement to face Akhmadaliev if Inoue were to defeat Cardenas.

Akhmadaliev and his handlers have long contended that Inoue is avoiding him. “The Monster” has scoffed at Akhmadaliev’s claims because Inoue knocked out Filipino southpaw Marlon Tapales (39-4, 20 KOs) in the 10th round of the fight after Tapales upset Akhmadaliev by split decision in April 2023.

Inoue, 31, is ranked No. 2 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list. If Inoue continues to win, he has agreed to make his Riyadh Season debut sometime in December against an opponent to be determined in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Top Rank and ESPN partnered to air this rare Sunday night tripleheader that will feature Inoue-Cardenas because the following Monday is Cinco de Mayo and the last day of Golden Week in Japan, a period of public holidays. The card headlined by Inoue and Cardenas figures to attract thousands of Japanese and Mexican fans from outside of Las Vegas to the home arena of the NHL’s Golden Knights.

The Sunday show will also enable Top Rank to avoid competing with a pay-per-view event the previous night, May 3, which will showcase Saul “Canelo” Alvarez against William Scull in a 12-round fight for Alvarez’s Ring, WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles and Scull’s IBF belt. Mexico’s Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) and Cuba’s Scull (23-0, 9 KOs) will square off at ANB Arena in Riyadh in a main event that will be officially announced Thursday at a press conference in New York.

Cardenas, 29, will be a huge underdog against Inoue. He has won 14 fights in a row since Danny Flores (then 14-9-1) upset him by majority decision in a 10-rounder in April 2017 in Monterrey, Mexico.

The left-handed Akhmadaliev, 30, most recently stopped Mexico’s Ricardo Espinoza (30-5, 25 KOs) in the third round December 14 in Monte Carlo.

good stuff, nice to see the mj fight gonna happen. will mj have a tune up or just wait till september?

gonna have to look more into cardenas

This one looks good

Inoue has only fought two undefeated boxers in his whole career.

That's not a diss or anything. Just a weird stat for someone who's been at world class level, while picking up multiple belts in multiple weight classes, for over a decade.

part of that is being in the lower weights id guess, the guys there start earlier (often like 17-18) and are more prone to early losses + also fight top guys more often, as there are fewer fighters to go around. and that leads to more losses in general than bigger divisions

Naoya Inoue's next fight is set: Ramon Cardenas on May 4 in Las Vegas

Undisputed junior featherweight champion and pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue will face Ramon Cardenas on May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, promoter Top Rank announced Wednesday.

Anticipation had been building for the U.S. return of Japan's Inoue, 29-0 (26 KOs), a 31-year-old four-division champion whose past eight fights have been staged in his home country. Inoue has fought on three occasions in America – including twice in Las Vegas – but not since a 2021 knockout of Michael Dasmarinas.

“I am thankful to the fans in America who have followed my career," Inoue said. Fighting at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is another career highlight, and I look forward to putting on a great show for everyone in attendance. Cardenas is a tough opponent who I respect for accepting the fight without hesitation.”

Top Rank's announcement confirmed previous reporting by BS, which was the first tease of a loaded Cinco de Mayo weekend – now something of an annual holiday on the boxing calendar.

THE MONSTER TAKES AMERICA.

P4P king @NaoyaInoue_410 defends his undisputed crown vs Ramon Cardenas Sunday, May 4 at @TMobileArena

Pre-sale begins tomorrow at 10AM PT. pic.twitter.com/4NanzA4BUV

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) March 12, 2025
Kicking things off on Friday, May 2 will be a New York tripleheader from Times Square: Ryan Garcia-Rolando Romero, Devin Haney-Jose Ramirez and Teofimo Lopez Jnr-Arnold Barboza Jnr.

On Saturday, May 3, three-belt unified super middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will try to again become undisputed in the division when he faces fellow belt holder William Scull. Cinco de Mayo weekend has been a staple on the personal schedule of Mexico's Alvarez for years now.

Meanwhile, Inoue gets his own date – Sunday, May 4 – and the proper Las Vegas treatment he was denied in his previous visits, which came at the height of the pandemic. Inoue, who has stopped each of his past 10 opponents – including most recently Ye Joon Kim in January at Ariake Arena in Koto-Ku, Japan – appears to still be at the height of his boxer-puncher powers.

“Naoya Inoue is among the most powerful and well-rounded fighters I’ve had the privilege of promoting, a singular boxing talent,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “After many years selling out arenas and stadiums in his native Japan, ‘The Monster’ is ready to take over Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo weekend. Ramon Cardenas is a worthy challenger who has earned this opportunity with several impressive victories.”

Cardenas, 26-1 (14 KOs), is a 29-year-old from San Antonio who most recently won a unanimous but tightly contested decision over Bryan Acosta on February 8 in San Antonio.

“This means the world to me,” Cardenas said. "I’ve always aspired to fight for a world title, but to get a chance to fight for all the belts is a dream come true. I always knew our paths would cross. I never had any doubts. When the fight was offered, I instantly accepted. I wouldn’t say it’s a lottery ticket, but you can't turn it down if you get a chance at the undisputed title. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑12 Mar 2025, 21:24 part of that is being in the lower weights id guess, the guys there start earlier (often like 17-18) and are more prone to early losses + also fight top guys more often, as there are fewer fighters to go around. and that leads to more losses in general than bigger divisions

I think it's partly because lighter weights earn less money so have to fight better competition. You don't get too many Andrade style champions at 115.

Naoya Inoue to defend undisputed super-bantamweight title against Ramon Cardenas live on Sky Sports

Naoya Inoue defends the undisputed super-bantamweight world championship against Ramon Cardenas live on Sky Sports on May 5.

Pound-for-pound superstar Inoue travels to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the Cardenas fight.

Inoue last fought in America in 2021 and has since won a pair of undisputed titles, cementing his status as a generational power-punching force.

Inoue said: "Fighting at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is another career highlight, and I look forward to putting on a great show for everyone.

"Cardenas is a tough opponent who I respect for accepting the fight without hesitation."

In world title fights alone Inoue is 24-0 with 22 knockouts, a staggering championship run that began with his April 2014 knockout of Adrian Hernandez to win the WBC light-flyweight belt.

He continued his decade-plus reign of dominance with seven defences of the WBO super-flyweight world title before a nine-fight run at bantamweight that concluded with his stoppage of Paul Butler to win the undisputed title.

Inoue toppled future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire twice at bantamweight, including a second-round stoppage in June 2022.

He then became the undisputed super-bantamweight champion in just two fights, knocking out then-unified champions Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales in 2023.

Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez joins Inoue vs Cardenas on May 4th

WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza will meet tough veteran Edward Vazquez to set the stage for Naoya Inoue’s return to the States

Riyadh Season’s three-card weekend will officially end with a title doubleheader, as Top Rank announced that WBO featherweight champion Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza will face Edward Vazquez on their May 4th Naoya Inoue vs Ramon Cardenas show in Vegas.

After a largely unremarkable decade spent smashing limited opposition in his native Mexico, Espinoza (26-0, 22 KO) broke through with a fantastic upset majority decision over Robeisy Ramirez in 2023. Following a successful inaugural defense against Sergio Chirino, he faced Ramirez a second time last December and scored a sixth-round finish courtesy of an eye injury.

Vazquez (17-2, 4 KO) has come up short in his biggest fights to date, but not by much. He gave Raymond Ford everything he could handle in 2022, then put Joe Cordina through similarly dire straits the following year. He’s a very capable fighter who shares Espinoza’s passion for mixing it up inside, so expect a great show.

Espinoza said, “I’m thrilled to return to the ring, especially in the city where I always dreamed of fighting, Las Vegas. Fighting at T-Mobile Arena is also a dream come true, which adds even more excitement for me. Edward Vazquez is a tough fighter who wants to take what’s mine. But I’m prepared to show him that I’m here to stay as a champion. I cannot wait for May 4 to reaffirm that once again.”

Vazquez said, “May 4 can’t get here soon enough. I started boxing at eight years old and have been a pro for over nine years. Nothing has ever been handed to me. I earned this opportunity. Espinoza is a fantastic fighter and a deserving champion, but he has never stepped into the ring with someone like ‘Kid’ Vazquez.”

I saw 600 U.S for a seat to this fight.
wtf is that.
For those of us that would like to see the fight from Canada I think we should impose a temporary tariff on the Americans for making us watch.
Slash the ticket price too.

Undercard ain't all that is it.

This from boxing promoter Rick Glaser on X:

“Told by multiple sources Inoue tickets at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas May 4 on ESPN are totally dead, so dead the tickets should be given the last rites! And, Team Inoue isn’t happy about the promotional flop. The promoter, none other than Top Rank. That’s boxing at Top Rank nowadays.”

what did rick glaser promote?

Ramon Cardenas 'jumps at' Naoya Inoue, a leap of faith – in himself

Ramon Cardenas is fully aware of the “Monster” moment in front of him. After all that has come before it, he isn’t about to let the immensity of it break his focus on what needs to be done.

Cardenas is gearing up to take on undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue on May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – a fight that he had envisioned but, until very recently, seemed from the outside to be far out of his reach.

“I’ve been mentally preparing to fight Inoue for a long time,” Cardenas said. “I knew I'd eventually get a big fight if I kept winning. And here we are, a shot at the undisputed champion of the world.”

Cardenas has inarguably done his part to put himself in this position, winning 14 in a row – including, most recently, a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Bryan Acosta in February. A week later, Cardenas received a call from his manager asking if he wanted a shot at the fighter many believe to be the current top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.

Said Cardenas: “I had to jump at it.”

But it is, objectively, an Everest-like challenge for San Antonio’s Cardenas, 26-1 (14 KOs). Not only will this be his first world title opportunity, but it also marks an almost-incalculable leap in opposition. He has never faced anyone in the ring quite like the “Monster,” Inoue.

“I know this is the type of fight and moment that can eat people up, but the ring doesn’t change,” Cardenas said. “You can put it in the middle of the ocean. You can put it in the middle of the desert. The ring is the ring. It has four corners. I see it like that and understand the magnitude of this fight. I asked for this moment, and now I have to take advantage of it.

Cardenas’ timing couldn’t have been better. Inoue, who will have been absent from the United States for almost four years, chose this start to make a return that American fans have increasingly clamored for. He most recently wiped out Ye Joon Kim inside four rounds in January at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, his favored venue during an eight-fight stretch of performances on home soil. He is on a 10-fight knockout streak and will essentially be reaching out to a new market in a Cinco De Mayo weekend date that will be all his own, the third in a series of major events that weekend. The magnitude of it all is lost on no one.

“This is Inoue’s first fight in America in four years, so I know he’s motivated to show out,” Cardenas said. “I’m prepared for the very best version of Naoya Inoue.”

He has at least one believer: Trainer Joel Diaz, despite Cardenas’ modest knockout percentage, raves about his punching prowess.

“This kid has devastating power in both hands,” Diaz said of Cardenas. “He is one of the fighters in boxing who can hurt you in the first or last round because he hits so hard. He moves really well, has good defense, and will rise to the moment.

“If Ramon catches Inoue with either the right or the left, he will hurt him. We know that Inoue can be hurt.”

Inoue was indeed battered by Nonito Donaire, who broke his orbital bone in their 2019 fight, and dropped by Luis Nery on a flash knockdown last May. And yet, Inoue gave as good as he got in both those fights, ultimately winning both convincingly – along with every one of his other pro outings.

If the scale of the task has fazed Cardenas in the least, then he has one helluva poker face. Or maybe he simply has seen enough of the other side to not wrap both arms around this opportunity.

“I started doing Lyft, DoorDash and Uber to make ends meet,” Cardenas said. “To fight for a world title is one thing, but to fight for the undisputed championship is the ultimate prize. For me to be in this position shows my work ethic and self-belief because I knew I was going to get here."

Diaz saw that spark in Cardenas. He knows that, whether or not his fighter is a match for the Monster, he’ll leave nothing on the table.

“Early in his career, he fought for free,” Diaz said. “All he wanted was a soda and some tacos after the fight. He started from nothing. He’s here, he loves the sport, and we’re going to shock the world.”

Press Release

Boxing’s pound-for-pound monster has arrived on U.S. soil. Just after touching down at LAX, Naoya Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) worked out for the media in Los Angeles.

Inoue is 11 days away from his undisputed junior featherweight title defense against San Antonio’s Ramon Cardenas (26-1, 14 KOs) on Sunday, May 4, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

This is Inoue’s first stateside appearance in nearly four years, and he returns as a two-weight undisputed champion and global superstar. Inoue faced off with Cardenas and then went through the paces in the ring and on the heavy bag. He displayed flashes of the bone-crunching power that’s led him to knock out his last 10 foes.

Cardenas and junior welterweight prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) also participated in the workout. Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs), the son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, will see action on the bill in an eight-rounder against Spain’s Juan Leon (11-2-1, 2 KOs).

This is some of what Inoue had to say in front of the assembled media.

“It took me four years to come back [to America], but I’d like to return sooner than later.”

“There is a great turnout of media today, and I’m very pleased. I know that the expectations are there, and I want to answer those expectations.”

“My father watched Barrera, Morales, and Marquez, so those are some of the Mexican fighters I’m fond of.”

“Cardenas is a beautiful fighter. He’s an all-around good fighter, but for me, it’s easy. No matter how he comes out, I think I have the advantage.”

Inoue-Cardenas and the WBO featherweight world title showdown between Mexico’s reigning champion Rafael Espinoza and Texas native Edward Vazquez will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Vargas-Leon and the rest of the undercard will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Ohashi Promotion, Teiken Promotions, and Sampson Boxing, tickets are on sale now via AXS.com.

Fight Week!!

Naoya Inoue-Ramon Cardenas: Thomas Taylor to referee undisputed title fight

Four highly regarded officials have been selected for the stateside return of one of the sport’s very best fighters.

Thomas Taylor of California was selected as the referee for the fight between Naoya Inoue and Ramon Cardenas for the undisputed junior-featherweight championship, which airs live on ESPN on Sunday from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The three judges assigned to the bout will be Max DeLuca, also of California, David Sutherland of Oklahoma, and Steve Weisfeld of New Jersey.

The final officiating panel was proposed and unanimously approved on Wednesday during the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s monthly agenda. Taylor will earn $4,000 for the premium in-ring assignment; judges DeLuca, Sutherland and Weisfeld will earn $3,000 each. It will mark the first time that either Taylor or Weisfeld will officiate a bout involving either boxer.

DeLuca was among the judges’ panel for Inoue’s first fight in Vegas – a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October 2020. DeLuca had Inoue ahead 59-55 at that point.

Sutherland is the only official to have worked at least one bout for each boxer. He was a ringside judge for two Inoue fights, both in Tokyo and which ended in knockouts. He awarded a 10-8 opening round to Inoue prior to his second-round knockout of Nonito Donaire in their rematch in June 2022. Sutherland also had Inoue ahead 59-55 at the time of his seventh-round stoppage of TJ Doheny in September in Tokyo.

Cardenas, 26-1 (14 KOs), actually went the distance in the one bout where Sutherland was a judge.

The 29 year old won a 10-round unanimous decision over Michell Banquez on a card in July 2022 in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Sutherland’s card of 97-93 matched that of Jesse Reyes; Ursolo Perez had it 96-94 for Cardenas, who enters his first major title fight.

Inoue, 29-0 (26 KOs) has not fought in the US since his third-round knockout of Michael Dasmarinas in June 2021. Sunday will mark his fourth overall US appearance as he puts his lineal and undisputed junior-featherweight championship on the line for the fourth time. He fully unified the division with knockout wins over Stephen Fulton Jnr and Marlon Tapales in 2023.

In the evening’s co-feature, Rafael Espinoza, 26-0 (22 KOs), risks his WBO featherweight title for the third time as he faces first-time title challenger Edward Vazquez, 17-2 (4 KOs).

New York’s Harvey Dock was selected as the referee for the scheduled 12-round title fight and will earn $2,400 for the assignment. The three judges will be Tim Cheatham, Eric Cheek and Patricia Morse-Jarman, all from Nevada and each of whom will earn $1,800.

Cheek and Morse-Jarman will both work their first fight involving either boxer. Dock has never worked a fight involving Espinoza. He was the third man in the ring for Vazquez’s fourth-round stoppage of Kenneth Taylor in October in New York City.

Espinoza will have Cheatham as one of the judges for the third successive time. His previous two outings both ended in a knockout to defend his WBO featherweight title.

The 6’0” Mexican brutalized Sergio Chirino via fourth-round knockout in June and had won every round on the cards.

Cheatham was one of two judges who had Espinoza trailing 48-47 at the time of his sixth-round stoppage of Oscar Valdez in December in Phoenix, Arizona.

None of the three judges were previously assigned to a bout involving Vazquez, who enters his first career title fight.

Fight night!!

Date: Sunday May 4, 2025
Location: T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas, NV
TV/Stream: ESPN+ & Sky Sports

Start Times
ESPN+: 6:15 pm ET | 3:15 pm PT | 11:15 pm BST (Preliminary Card)
ESPN+: 10 pm ET | 7 pm PT (Main Card)
Sky Sports: 1 am BST (Main Card)

Promoted by: Top Rank Inc. & Teiken

Main Card

Undisputed Super Bantamweight Championship
Naoya Inoue vs. Ramon Cardenas

WBO Featherweight Championship
Rafael Espinoza vs. Edward Vazquez

Prelims

10 Round Welterweight Bout
Rohan Polanco vs. Fabian Maidana

8 Round Super Lightweight Bout
Emiliano Vargas vs. Juan Leon

10 Round Featherweight Bout
Mikito Nakano vs. Pedro Marquez

10 Round Featherweight Bout
Raeese Aleem vs. Rudy Garcia

6 Round Super Welterweight Bout
Art Barrera Jr vs. Juan Carlos Guerra Jr.

4 Round Cruiserweight Bout
Patrick O’Connor vs. Marcus Smith

The first televised fight on this espn show had more action than the Friday and Saturday shows combined!!
Five fights so far and every boxer showed up to fight.
Some of them got knocked out for their efforts but at least they gave it a go.