Naoya Inoue never disappoints. Believe that! Heading into the Cinco de Mayo weekend, boxing fans were excited about the number of high-profile bouts being lined up across the three days. And with big names like Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, and Devin Haney featuring on the Friday and Saturday night cards, expectations were sky-high. However, the two Riyadh Season events fell flat on their faces, thanks to the underwhelming performances by boxing’s elite stars. Already disappointed with the sleep-inducing fights, fans had little expectation heading into Sunday. But fortunately for us, the Monster from Japan and his opponent Ramon Cardenas saved the weekend with their absolute slugfest of a fight.

Many online are already busy thanking the two for saving the weekend and boxing along with it. Even Claressa Shields added to the chorus, stating, “The fights tonight on @espn@trboxing saved the boxing weekend! Great way to bring in Monday 🥊 I’m motivated!” Fighting on US soil for the first time in four years, Naoya Inoue might not have replicated the quick 3rd-round knockout from his last appearance in 2021, but that didn’t matter. What fans got instead was pure electricity. The opening round saw both fighters feeling each other out with crisp jabs, but by round 2, the intensity had ramped up. Then came the shocker: 29-year-old Ramon Cardenas caught Naoya Inoue clean with a sharp left hook, sending the Japanese superstar to the canvas—only the second knockdown of his twelve-year-long career. The first-time title contender proved he was no klutz. But that is when Naoya Inoue stepped up his game and showed what champions are made of. He went full throttle, focusing on complete volume punching to overwhelm the Texas native. And it worked.

By round eight, the referee had seen enough and stepped in, waving his hands, ending the Monster’s onslaught and thus extending his undisputed title reign. True to form, Naoya Inoue showed why he’s one of the best in the sport. “Watching the fight, everybody is very much aware I like to brawl,” the 30-0 boxer said after the fight. Indeed, a brawl it was. While the fight was at its peak, Stevenson, already hooked, had tweeted, “👀👀👀👀,” to sum up his thoughts. Once the fight ended, Shakur Stevenson took to X to share, “Bad stoppage,” while adding, “Great fight tho!!”

It wasn’t just Shakur Stevenson who was impressed by the fight. Plenty of elite fighters felt the same way.

Naoya Inoue already had the blueprint for victory

Fight fans wasted no time flooding social media with reactions to Naoya Inoue’s thrilling win—and among them was none other than Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya, who summed it up best: “Inoue saves 5 De Mayo!!!!”

In the post-fight interview, Naoya Inoue remained composed and thoughtful, even when recalling the second-round knockdown that briefly shook the arena. “I was very surprised but I was able to calmly pull myself together,” the 32-year-old said through a translator. “In the first round, I thought I had a pretty good distance. But, in the second round it kind of, got a little loose. And then, from thereafter, I made sure I didn’t take that punch again,” the multiple world champion in four weight classes added.

Even before Inoue stepped into the ring, Mexico’s undefeated Rafael Espinoza was already calling his shot. “I know a fight against Naoya Inoue, that’s what would catapult me into stardom,” he said confidently after stopping Edward Vazquez in the 7th round on the very same card. With that win, Espinoza improved his record to 27-0 and successfully defended his WBO featherweight title, right as Inoue reminded the world why he’s a generational talent.

So with both fighters scoring big wins under the bright lights of Las Vegas, are we heading toward another blockbuster showdown? And most importantly, who takes it if Naoya Inoue and Rafael Espinoza go head-to-head next?