WORLD bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue of Japan has been installed a 3-1 favorite to beat evergreen Filipino rival Nonito Donaire Jr. in their unification title match this Sunday at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Majority of bookmakers, including FanDuel Sportsbook, have tipped Inoue as a -550 pick over Donaire, a +350 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the “Filipino Flash” would win $350, going into the highly anticipated rematch between the two ring warriors.
The oldest reigning world bantamweight champ at 39, Donaire, who holds the World Boxing Council bantam belt, aims to defy the odds and Father Time against the unbeaten Japanese “Monster.”
“My heart is bigger than his (Inoue’s) punches,” Donaire said the other day in a report posted on boxingscene.com on what he aims to bring to the ring against Inoue, who is seeking to add the Filipino’s belt to his World Boxing Association super bantam and International Boxing Federation bantam crowns.
The Pinoy fighter said his initial encounter with the Japanese was like an epiphany, although it resulted in a unanimous decision loss after his rival knocked him down in the 11th round on Nov. 11. 2019 at the same arena.
“After all those years as a fighter, following the fight with Inoue felt like an awakening, like: ‘Hey, what have I been doing all these years?!” he recalled.
“I have just been floating. And, somehow, some way, I have awakened that fight in me, and I’ve been trying hard since then and I am very, very confident of defeating Inoue,” added Donaire, who sports a record of 42 wins, 28 by knockout, against six losses.
“In this fight I am very, very confident because of this level of mindset that I have. When I first fought him (Inoue), I was like: ‘Okay, I’m back at 118 pounds, let’s just try and push him back and brawl with him, but this time I am coming back with different kinds of strategies and this mindset I have,” he said.
Unbeaten in 22 fights, laced by 19 KOS, Inoue won’t be a cakewalk and will likely be revved up to go for a knockout in front of his adoring hometown fans, especially after he suffered a fractured orbital bone and broken nose in his first meeting with the Filipino.
