TOKYO, Japan – Takuma Inoue picked up the biggest win of his professional career, defeating Kazuto Ioka by unanimous decision, dropping him twice along the way, to retain his WBC bantamweight title in Tokyo, Japan.

Inoue was defending the strap for the first time, doing so on the undercard of his older brother Naoya’s gargantuan fight with Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome, and was taking on a tough customer in the former four-division champion Ioka. 

The now 37-year-old Ioka, however, looked his age throughout the contest and struggled to keep up with the speed and pace set by his younger foe. Inoue, 30, was too accurate with his work and took the contest by scores of 118-108, 119-107 and 120-106.

The pair took a look at each other in the first, circling around before flicking away with their left hands. Neither was ready to commit to anything meaningful in the opening exchanges. The pair started to step things up midway through the second; Ioka was pressing forwards but lacked the speed of his rival and was tagged with a right hand. Ioka then started to press with more intent, but was again caught by a right hand from Inoue that shook him to his boots. Ioka’s legs were not with him and Inoue took full advantage, landing three left hands that sent Ioka tumbling to his backside. The former champion climbed up and, luckily for him, the bell sounded.

It was not long before Ioka took another trip to the canvas. Early in the second Ioka again pressed forwards and Inoue timed him well with a short, sharp right uppercut on the inside. He again sent Ioka tumbling backwards, but Ioka bounced to his feet, and his legs looked to have recovered. The third was better for Ioka, who landed a left hook that shook Inoue and followed it up with a flurry on the ropes to snatch the round.

Open scoring was in place during the bout, and the scorecards read 39-35, twice, and 40-34, all in favour of Inoue after four rounds.

Knowing he had a healthy lead on his side, Inoue continued to sit on the backfoot, drawing Ioka, who was chasing the fight, and timing him well. Ioka just did not have the speed to compete with Inoue. He marched forwards in the sixth, sometimes landing blows, but Inoue always had an answer. 

Inoue started the seventh by cracking Ioka with his razor sharp jab, and followed it with a left hook that again wobbled his man. Inoue looked to be enjoying himself in there, spinning Ioka, smiling in the process, before tagging him with a left hand.

Ioka continued to stalk his opponent in the eighth but was miles off the pace. Ioka was moving freely around the ropes and every time he let his hands go Ioka looked in trouble. 

The scores read 79-71, twice, and 80-70 to Inoue after eighth completed rounds.

The bout had now lost its edge. Ioka, although still pressing, seemed to have no hope of forcing a stoppage that he needed to turn things around, and Inoue took his foot off the gas knowing he had a healthy lead. Inoue did seem to step things up a little in the 10th, and tagged Ioka with a right hand but his opponent would not budge. 

Ioka pressed to find something to turn the tide in the 11th, and had success, but Inoue’s feet were just too quick, and the slower Ioka could not pin his man down. 

Inoue swiftly put Ioka back in his place in the 12th and final session, bullying him to the ropes and even wobbling Ioka with a left hand late. Due to the open scoring, the result was just a formality at the sound of the final bell. The three judges all awarded the victory to the now 22-2 (5 KOs) Inoue. Ioka slumped to 32-5-1 (17 KOs) with the defeat.