There may not be monsters under your bed, but you can see one monster shortly after you wake up this Saturday, and another monster later that night.

“The Monster” Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed junior featherweight championship in a highly anticipated battle with three-division titleholder Junto Nakatani in Tokyo. “The Mexican Monster” David Benavidez will challenge unified cruiserweight titleholder Gilberto Ramirez in Las Vegas in another main event that promises action.

And there is plenty more on the schedule this week. Here’s what you need to know:

Pick it, part 1: Naoya Inoue vs. Junto Nakatani

When to Watch: Saturday, May 2 at 5:40 a.m. Eastern Time (10:40 a.m. BST)

How to watch: DAZN

Why to Watch: This is the biggest boxing match in Japanese history, drawing tens of thousands to the Tokyo Dome and millions upon millions watching on TV. And this fight has plenty of appeal for fight fans around the world, given the level of talent involved.

Naoya Inoue, 32-0 (27 KOs), has cemented his spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame over the past 12-plus years by boldly taking on tough challenges and conquering each and every one of them. And now Inoue, a 33-year-old from Yokohama, is taking on what might be his toughest challenge in years.

Inoue’s route to superstardom kicked off in 2012. By his fourth fight, he was in the ring with the 18-1-1 Ryoichi Taguchi, outpointing the future 108lbs titleholder and Ring Magazine champion. By early 2014, Inoue had his first belt, stopping junior flyweight Adrian Hernandez in the sixth round. Inoue made one defense and then skipped over flyweight, jumping straight to junior bantamweight. 

Inoue didn’t take any time to settle into 115lbs. He immediately challenged Omar Narvaez, a long-time titleholder who for years had been The Ring’s top guy in the division. And he didn’t just beat Narvaez – he blasted him out in a mere two rounds in December 2014 to earn his first of two BoxingScene Fighter of the Year awards. 

Sadly, the timing of Inoue’s three-year run at 115lbs didn’t quite align for fights with Carlos Cuadras, Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. For whatever we didn’t get at 115, Inoue has since blasted through almost all of the top names at 118 and 122.

Secondary titleholder Jamie McDonnell and former titleholder Juan Carlos Payano lasted a combined three minutes. Emmanuel Rodriguez, a very good undefeated titleholder, couldn’t make it out of the second round. 

Some people like to pick on Inoue for going through hell with a 39-year-old Nonito Donaire in a 2019 unification bout. Despite Donaire’s age, at this point he was resurgent; rejuvenated by fighting at a more natural weight class. Inoue was arguably robbed of an early KO win, and he had to battle through a lot – including a fractured orbital – en route to winning a decision in one of the best fights of that year.

Things were much easier for Inoue in their rematch in 2022, which this time had Donaire coming in with the WBC belt he’d recently won. Inoue sent Donaire packing in the second round. Inoue wrapped the year by stopping Paul Butler in 11 to grab the WBO title and recognition as undisputed bantamweight champion.

And then came 2023, when Inoue added another undisputed crown in the span of just five months. First came his eighth-round stoppage of one unified titleholder, Stephen Fulton. Next came a 10th-round KO of Marlon Tapales for the other two belts. Once again, Inoue was BoxingScene’s Fighter of the Year.

In May 2024, Inoue stopped a top contender in former titleholder Luis Nery, though he showed his first signs of mortality since the first Donaire fight in doing so. Inoue’s defense grew porous in his aggression, and Nery floored him heavily in the first round with a left hand. Inoue then remained busy with a TKO win over another former titleholder, TJ Doheny. When mandatory contender Sam Goodman twice pulled out with cuts, Inoue instead kicked off 2025 with an easy win over late replacement Ye Joon Kim. 

A year ago, Inoue was down early again – this time by a well-timed, well-placed counter shot from Ramon Cardenas. Cardenas was an enormous underdog before the fight but fought with skill and immense determination. Inoue managed to recover, adjusted to Cardenas’ aggressive style, and took over the bout en route to an eighth-round TKO.

Inoue showed much tighter defense and a more strategic approach during the past September against mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev, a former unified titleholder who was seen as the top remaining contender at 122lbs. Inoue won a wide decision, with the sole shaky moment coming when he was rocked in the final seconds of round 12. 

In his fourth fight of 2025, Inoue got one more mandatory defense out of the way – and cultivated his relationship with boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh – by outpointing previously unbeaten Alan David Picasso in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

For some time, there has been talk about Inoue taking on two men believed to be the biggest threats to end his historic run: Junto Nakatani and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez. “Bam” is only now moving up from 115 to 118. Nakatani, meanwhile, recently joined the ranks at 122 – and is himself a star in Japan.  

Nakatani, 32-0 (24 KOs), is a former three-division titleholder who has reigned at 112, 115 and 118lbs, and is trying to win all four belts at 122lbs in one fell swoop. All he needs to do is beat the undisputed champion – someone who is seen as an all-time great. 

Many have long assumed that Nakatani has the best possible chance among fighters at junior featherweight and below. That said, that assumption was called into question in Nakatani’s most recent outing.

Nakatani, a 28-year-old from Sagamihara, Japan, turned pro in 2015. He scored wins over Masamichi Yabuki in 2016 and Seigo Yuri Akui in 2017 – two men who would go on to win world titles. Nakatani’s first title win came in 2020, when he knocked out Giemel Magramo to win a vacant flyweight belt. He defended it twice and then moved up to junior bantamweight. 

Nakatani’s first foe at 115 was Francisco Rodriguez Jnr, a former titleholder and long-time contender. Nakatani outpointed Rodriguez and then met Andrew Moloney in May 2023, scoring a highlight-reel 12th-round knockout to capture another vacant belt. Once again, Nakatani didn’t stick around long. He made one defense and moved up to bantamweight in February 2024.

Over the next 16 months, Nakatani seized the WBC 118lbs title from Alexandro Santiago via sixth-round TKO; dispatched Vincent Astrolabio in one round; took out Tasana “Petch CP Freshmart” Salapat in six rounds; blew through unbeaten contender David Cuellar in three rounds; and added the IBF belt with a sixth-round stoppage of titleholder Ryosuke Nishida.

Nakatani then bade farewell to bantamweight and moved up to 122, fighting in December underneath Naoya Inoue-Alan David Picasso to help set up this clash. Nakatani didn’t pick an easy foe and didn’t have an easy night. He met Sebastian Hernandez, an unbeaten contender who wasn’t there to be a fall guy. Rather, Hernandez rose to the occasion. Nakatani won a unanimous decision, though he might have lost some of his luster. 

That may or may not be fair. Maybe Nakatani had an off-night. Maybe he was growing into his new weight class – some fighters need more time settling in than others. Maybe Hernandez was even better than expected. Or maybe it’s a combination of any or all of the above. Time will tell with Hernandez’s talent. But the time has come to see how Nakatani’s talent stands up to Inoue’s.

On the undercard:

Takuma Inoue, 21-2 (5 KOs), defends his WBC bantamweight title against Kazuto Ioka, 32-4-1 (17 KOs), who is going for a world title in his fifth weight class; and former bantamweight titleholder Yoshiki Takei, 11-1 (9 KOs), fights at junior featherweight against DeKang Wang, 9-1 (3 KOs). 

Pick it, part 2: Gilberto Ramirez vs. David Benavidez

When to Watch: Saturday, May 2. The main broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (1 a.m. BST). A free three-fight preliminary undercard will start at 5:30 p.m. ET (10:30 p.m. BST).

How to watch: Pay-per-view available for purchase via Amazon’s Prime Video, DAZN, PPV.com, and traditional cable and satellite outlets. 

Why to Watch: This fight promises lots of action as well as an intriguing storyline of a light heavyweight titleholder (David Benavidez) moving up to challenge a unified cruiserweight titleholder (Gilberto Ramirez).

Ramirez, 48-1 (30 KOs), is a 34-year-old from Mexico who has been fighting professionally for nearly 17 years. He competed as low as middleweight during his development as a prospect and settled into 168lbs as he transitioned into a contender. By 2016, Ramirez became a world titleholder, pitching a dominant shutout of Arthur Abraham to capture the WBO belt. Ramirez made five successful defenses, including a pair of highly competitive and entertaining battles with Jesse Hart.

A move to light heavyweight followed. Ramirez won five fights at 175lbs from 2019 to 2022 before challenging Dmitry Bivol for the WBA title. Bivol won a wide decision and sent Ramirez up to his next weight class. Ramirez arrived at cruiserweight in October 2023, defeating former light heavyweight titleholder Joe Smith Jnr. 

While Ramirez does not appear to be toned or muscular, he isn’t out of shape either, given how he’s thriving so far at 200lbs. In 2024, Ramirez outpointed Arsen Goulamirian for the WBA belt and did the same to Chris Billam-Smith to add the WBO title. Most recently, Ramirez won a unanimous decision over former titleholder Yuniel Dorticos last June.

Ramirez underwent shoulder surgery after the Dorticos victory. He was initially expecting to return this January against unbeaten contender Robin Sirwan Safar, but Safar was hurt and unable to compete. So Ramirez is jumping straight into a potentially difficult outing against Benavidez. Even though Ramirez has been at cruiserweight while Benavidez is only now arriving, it is the challenger who is the betting favorite.

Benavidez, 31-0 (25 KOs), is a two-division titleholder who has long been chasing the big fights – and finally another major opponent is just as eager to face him.

It’s amazing to realize that Benavidez is still just 29 years old. The Arizonan has been fighting professionally since late 2013, initially cutting his teeth in Mexico before he turned 18 and could legally compete in the United States. He’d impressed as a teenager while sparring with talented pros, and he soon began to fulfill his potential within the paid ranks.

Benavidez had two world title reigns at super middleweight. The first began in 2017, when he beat Ronald Gavril by split decision to capture the vacant WBC belt. Benavidez won far more clearly in their rematch five months later. But that first title run soon ended because of a positive cocaine test taken while out of competition.

In September 2019, Benavidez knocked out Anthony Dirrell in the ninth round to regain the WBC title. Once again, his reign didn’t last long. Benavidez came in overweight for his first defense, dropping the title on the scales. But he was able to remain at 168lbs, won an interim title in 2022 and positioned himself for a shot at undisputed champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Alas, that shot never came. All the while, Benavidez added two more good wins, outpointing former titleholder Caleb Plant and stopping fellow divisional boogeyman Demetrius Andrade.

Benavidez ultimately gave up on the Canelo fight and moved up to light heavyweight in 2024. First he defeated Oleksandr Gvozdyk to pick up the WBC’s interim belt at 175lbs in June 2024, earning a shot at whomever sat on the throne after the first bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. 

Apparently Benavidez traded one waiting game for another. Beterbiev won but went straight into a rematch with Bivol, and so Benavidez outpointed David Morrell in February 2025, adding a secondary WBA belt. Bivol triumphed in the sequel with Beterbiev to become undisputed but vacated his WBC title. That led to Benavidez being upgraded. He made his first defense last November, blasting through Anthony Yarde in seven rounds.

Bivol has a long-overdue mandatory defense due against Michael Eifert, at last taking place on May 30. Beterbiev has yet to return to the ring. And so Benavidez has jumped up to 200lbs for this match with Ramirez. Benavidez says he feels stronger and more powerful at cruiserweight but still expects to return to 175lbs afterward. 

The main four-fight undercard at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is topped by a title bout in the co-feature: Jose Armando Resendiz, 16-2 (11 KOs), will defend his WBA super middleweight title against Jaime Munguia, 45-2 (35 KOs). 

This is Resendiz’s first defense since he upset Caleb Plant for the secondary interim belt 11 months ago; he was upgraded after Terence Crawford retired and vacated. Munguia hasn’t fought in almost exactly a year, when he won his rematch with Bruno Surace. Munguia subsequently tested positive for a banned substance. Some have called into question whether Munguia was truly cleared of the allegations.

Also on this show: Oscar Duarte, 30-2-1 (23 KOs), will take on Angel Fierro, 23-4-2 (18 KOs), in a junior welterweight bout; junior middleweight prospect Isaac Lucero, 18-0 (14 KOs), will face Ismael Flores, 17-1-1 (12 KOs); and in the show’s opener, Jorge Chavez, 15-0-1 (8 KOs), will face fellow unbeaten junior featherweight Jose “Tito” Sanchez, 15-0 (9 KOs). 

More Fights to Watch

Wednesday, April 29: Skye Nicolson vs. Mariah Turner (DAZN)

The broadcast begins at 5 a.m. Eastern Time (10 a.m. BST).

Nicolson, 15-1 (3 KOs), is a former featherweight titleholder who now has the WBC’s secondary interim belt at 122lbs. She is a 30-year-old from Queensland, Australia, who will be fighting in her home country for the third time in her past five fights, this time at The Melbourne Pavilion.

After making it to the Olympic quarterfinals in 2021 – losing a close decision to eventual bronze medalist Karriss Artingstall – Nicolson turned pro in early 2022. In lieu of power, Nicolson relied on her boxing ability, grabbed an interim WBC belt at 126lbs and awaited a shot at featherweight champ Amanda Serrano.

When that clash didn’t come, Nicolson won the vacant title in 2024 and made two successful defenses before dropping a split decision to Tiara Brown in March 2025. That prompted a move down on the scales – and two confidence-boosting KO wins. Nicolson last fought in December, outpointing former two-division titlist Yuliahn Luna Avila for the interim WBC junior featherweight belt.

Turner, 12-1 (6 KOs), is a fighter from New Zealand now living in Brisbane, Australia. She was originally training in Muay Thai before turning to boxing, making her pro debut in 2023. Her sole defeat came in her sixth bout, about 15 months into her career, when Turner was outpointed by the 1-0-1 Ellie Bouttell. Seven wins have followed. Most recently, Turner took a unanimous decision in November against the 9-0 Stephanie Lee Cutting.

Friday, May 1: Tsendbaatar Erdenebat vs. Cobia Breedy (ProBox TV)

The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. Eastern Time (midnight BST).

This show takes place at the Live! Casino and Hotel Maryland in Hanover, Maryland.

Erdenebat, 14-0 (6 KOs), competes at junior lightweight and lightweight. The 29-year-old is from Mongolia and fights out of the Los Angeles region. He was in the 2016 Olympics, losing in the quarterfinals of the bantamweight tournament to eventual silver medalist Shakur Stevenson. Erdenebat’s last victory was in November, when he outpointed the 23-6-1 Abraham Montoya.

Breedy, 18-1 (8 KOs), is a 34-year-old from Barbados who lives in Largo, Maryland. His lone loss came in 2020 at featherweight, dropping a split decision to former title challenger Tugstsogt Nyambayar. After a cut-shortened no-contest against Sulaiman Segawa in October 2021, Breedy then spent 41 months out of the ring. Since returning in March 2025, Breedy has won three in a row. His most recent outing was at junior lightweight in October, when he put away the 19-4 Dexter Marques after three rounds.

In the co-feature, junior lightweight Francois “Frankie” Scarboro Jnr will face Maxwell Montes. Scarboro, 13-0 (9 KOs), is coming off a unanimous decision victory in a pitched battle with the 15-7 Brandon Valdes in January. Montes, 13-4-1 (7 KOs), was outpointed last September by the 13-0-1 Austin Brooks and then returned in February with a shutout victory over an opponent with a 22-22-1 record.

In addition to Scarboro, several other local prospects are due to  be featured in separate bouts, including welterweights Ben Johnson, 7-0 (7 KOs), and David Whitmire, 11-0 (8 KOs), as well as junior bantamweight Jordan Roach, 7-0 (2 KOs).

(Note: ProBox and BoxingScene are both owned by Garry Jonas.)

Saturday, May 2: Conah Walker vs. Sam Eggington (DAZN)

The main broadcast begins at 2 p.m. Eastern Time (7 p.m. BST). A preliminary undercard is scheduled to kick off at 12:35 p.m. ET (5:35 p.m. BST).

Walker, 17-3-1 (8 KOs), is a 30-year-old welterweight from Wolverhampton, England. He is headlining at home at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall after going on an improbable run at the domestic level.

Walker, a fighter who was outpointed by the 13-1 Samuel Antwi in 2022 and the 15-2 Kane Gardner in 2023, has since won six of his next seven outings. Walker stopped unbeaten prospects Cyrus Pattinson and Lloyd Germain, lost a close decision to Lewis Crocker, took a unanimous decision over the 23-4 Lewis Ritson, and has scored three consecutive TKO victories over the 13-3 Harry Scarff, the 28-2-1 Liam Taylor, and 8-0 Pat McCormack (who won Olympic silver in 2021).

Can he do the same to Eggington?

It’s been a little over a year since we last saw Eggington, 36-9 (20 KOs), a 32-year-old from nearby Smethwick, England. Eggington has also been a measuring stick for numerous names and up-and-comers. Among his notable outings: He sent Paulie Malignaggi out of action in 2017 and caused plenty of silly jokes by being a man named Eggington taking on (and losing to) Ted Cheeseman in 2020. 

In recent years, Eggington has competed at junior middleweight and middleweight. He dropped a majority decision to Abass Baraou in March 2024, shut out a 4-19-1 foe later that year, and took a cut-shortened, nine-round technical decision in April 2024 against the 15-1 Lee Cutler.

The undercard includes a junior middleweight bout between Bilal Fawaz, 11-1-1 (3 KOs), and Ryan Kelly, 20-6-1 (8 KOs); as well as Kieron Conway, 23-4-1 (7 KOs), moving up to super middleweight to take on Mark Jeffers, 20-2 (7 KOs). Conway was stopped by George Liddard in October while Jeffers is coming off back-to-back losses to Sean Hemphill (MD10) and Willy Hutchinson (TKO7).

Sunday, May 3: Yaser Al Ghena vs Bradley Townsend (DAZN)

The broadcast begins at 11 a.m. Eastern Time (4 p.m. BST).

This battle of unbeaten junior welterweight prospects headlines at York Hall in London, England.

Al Ghena, 15-0 (3 KOs), a 31-year-old from London, is still in the developmental stage after more than seven years as a pro. Last year he fought twice, dispatching a 2-1-1 foe in six rounds in September and then taking a close unanimous decision over the 13-1 Mykey Lee Broughton in November.

Townsend, 19-0 (3 KOs), is similarly situated. The 30-year-old from Witney, England, turned pro in September 2017. In his two wins, he shut out a 6-27 opponent in June and then won via disqualification in November against the 13-4-4 Billy Allington.

On the undercard, lightweight contender Sam Noakes, 17-1 (15 KOs), returns for the first time since his highly competitive loss to Abdullah Mason in a vacant title bout this past November. He faces the 17-19-4 Benito Sanchez Garcia.

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon