Takuma Inoue vs Tenshin Nasukawa 2 fight preview, tale of the tape, betting odds, weights, times, prediction

Takuma Inoue vs Tenshin Nasukawa rematch all set for September 27

By Tim Rickson24 Sept 2026 · Updated 24 Sept 2026 · 9 min read

Repeat or Revenge? Takuma Inoue vs Tenshin Nasukawa 2 full fight details

Takuma Inoue defends his WBC Bantamweight belt against Tenshin Nasukawa on Sunday, September 27th at the Toyota Arena, Tokyo, Japan, live on Prime Video.

Below are all the fight details in full, including weights, ringwalk times, stats, preview, odds, and prediction.

How to Watch

TV Channel: The fight will be broadcast on Prime Video

Start Times:

UK: 8:30am BST

U.S: 3:30am ET

Spain: 9:30am

Japan: 4:30pm Tokyo Time

Mexico: 1:30am CMT

Colombia: 2:30am

Puerto Rico: 3:30am

Argentina: 4:30am

Tale of the Tape

TAKUMA INOUE

Nationality: Japanese

DOB: December 26th, 1995

Birthplace: Zama, Kanagawa, Japan

Residence: Kanagawa, Japan

Age: 30

Record: 22-2-0, 5 KOs

KO Ratio: 23%

Stance: Orthodox

Rounds: 227

World Title Fights: 8 (7-1-0, 1 KO)

Manager: Hideyuki Ohashi

Promoter: Ohashi Promotions

Trainer: Shingo Inoue

TENSHIN NASUKAWA

Nationality: Japanese

DOB: August 18th, 1998

Birthplace: Matsudo, Chiba, Japan

Residence: Tokyo , Japan

Age: 28

Record: 8-1-0, 3 KOs

KO Ratio: 37.5%

Stance: Southpaw

Rounds: 71

World Title Fights: 1 (0-1)

Manager: Mr. Akihiko Honda

Promoter: Teiken Promotions

Trainer: Yuichi Kasai

Fight Preview

By James Blears, WBC

Takuma Inoue defends his WBC Bantamweight title to Tenshin Nasukawa and this second bite at the cherry will determine just who has learned the most from their first encounter.

This isn’t déjà vu, as you were, or more of the same. No fight is a carbon copy of another.

Since their first encounter in November of last year, at that time for the title left vacant by Junto Nakatani, in his quest for Big Brother, both Takuma and Tenshin have progressed further, refined, and markedly improved.

Takuma, who won that fight by UD, then went on to successfully defend his strap against the brilliant Kazuto Ioka, who was seeking a world title in a fifth weight division. Kazuto fell short, and en route, he was twice knocked to the canvas.

Unlike so many other fighters from other disciplines and backgrounds, Tenshin has taken to boxing like a duck to water. In his unbeaten kickboxing career, 40-0, 28 KOs, which spanned a decade from 2012 to 2022, he won just about everything and was ranked the best-ever pound-for-pound by Combat Press.

Turning his hand to boxing, deftly adjusting the equilibrium and fighting techniques, this adaptable southpaw, who is a quick learner, had only had seven fights, including two KO wins, before he had the audacity to challenge Takuma, who had already clocked up 20 pro bouts, including the WBA version and two defeats, from which he had learned plenty.

Tenshin had earned his spot by defeating the very capable and far more experienced Australian Andrew Moloney over 10, via convincing UD.

So, they met, clashed, and it was a treat to behold.

Right at the end of round one, Tenshin connected with a big southpaw left hook, and the fans gasped. Tenshin dominated over long stretches of the first four rounds. But thereafter, gradually we saw the extra maturity, patience, and guile of Takuma.

He doesn’t possess the power of his older bro Naoya, 33-0, 27 KOs, because Takuma has only clocked up five stoppages, yet he’s a consummate, capable, skilled, patient and experienced fighter.

He started closing down the distance, cutting off angles, obliging Tenshin onto the backfoot, from which he doesn’t have the same capacity, capability, effectiveness or leverage. As Takuma’s intensity increased, Tenshin started to look ragged.

Too often he was static, before belatedly bursting into action, but that inactivity, which was bordering on weariness rather than indolence, was costing him points and rounds.

The right hand was finding his face with increasing regularity, and his dyed blonde hair was hanging limply behind him in strands, soaked in rivulets of sweat. By the later rounds, Takuma had caught up, surpassed him, and was leading on all scorecards.

Takuma’s stamina was carefully measured, paced, and better utilised. His guard was still high and difficult to pierce, while Tenshin’s hands were now straying and dangling low, staying mostly at hip level, and so he was an appreciably easier target.

It proved a masterclass, and although this indeed was a valiant effort, eventually down the home stretch and edging towards the end, Tenshin was increasingly looking like a mastered novice.

By the final round, Takuma was parrying, ducking, weaving, evading, and landing cleanly, putting on and displaying an assured masterclass. By now, the writing was on the wall and the scorecards. Tenshin sportingly applauded the still champion, acknowledging that although he hadn’t been comprehensively outfought, he had been handily outsmarted and outwitted.

What he had learned, he put to very effective use in his next fight against former double-weight champion Juan Francisco "Gallo"’ Estrada, who was coming off several long layoffs, culminating in a painful defeat inflicted by Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez, which convinced him to move up one weight division to bantam.

But unfortunately and evidently, the first factor was physical size. Tenshin appeared broad-backed, huge compared to slim Gallo, who has always had an almost waif-like appearance. Tenshin was using his long 69" reach to keep Gallo at bay and to land straight lefts down the pipe to the head, then digging clouting punches sinking deep into Juan’s slender body.

The seventh was a particularly torrid round for the brave Mexican, who took a one-sided pasting. Juan Francisco’s corner humanely and wisely decided to stop the fight after the ninth round. Juan had been fighting with three broken ribs for several rounds. Quite apart from the agonising pain, he was also suffering breathing difficulties. His gamble/gambit of coming up in weight was a brave move which wasn’t destined to work. Always a slick mover, he had noticeably lost a step or two and was a much easier target. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And… the bigger they are, the harder they hit!

In his first WBC bantamweight title defence against four-weight world shampion Kazuto Ioka, Takuma dominated his nominated challenger.

In round one, he built up momentum with a laser-like jab, and in round two, he dropped the sturdy, tough-as-nails maestro with a pile-driving right hook. Then in round three, a booming right uppercut decked Kazuto, but this time much, much harder. It could have ended there and then, but the wily, resilient veteran weathered the storm and came back. Yet he was thereafter outpunched, outmaneuvered, and smartingly outsmarted. This weight division was also just too big and bulky for him to gain a handhold, toehold, or foothold.

This upcoming fight is a voluntary defence. Like in the first one, older brother Naoya will be in the corner offering important advice to Takuma.

Never an easy touch, Tenshin has gathered a treasure trove of experience along the way, also helped by the Gallo fight. This time, he’s going to try and focus more energy and purpose into the body attack, and he will have worked harder on his conditioning, striving for the achievement of improved stamina. Takuma simply can’t afford to give away the early rounds like he did last time. He has to press the action from the word go, cut the distance, and force twenty-eight-year-old Tenshin back onto the ropes. At thirty, Takuma is at his peak, and he must use this to maintain the attained summit.

Takuma has said: "I’ll definitely beat him again, without leaving any openings like I did the first time. I don’t think I’ve got much time left in boxing, and I always feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff. So, I’m going to knock him out!"

To which Tenshin replied: "I want to get revenge, and I’ll trade punches from the start. If I lose, I don’t think there’s any hope left."

Grim determination and ruthless desperation is a potent fuse leading to a fight to remember, as both are promising a KO. The first fight was youth vs experience, but now they meet once again as equals. The odds for a draw are very low compared to normal. A cliffhanger, perhaps?

Betting Odds

1/2 Takuma Inoue

21/10 Tenshin Nasukawa

16/1 Draw

Fight Prediction

Tim Rickson, GBN Editor: "The scorecards for the first fight were unanimous to Inoue at 116-112, 116-112, and 117-111.

"For Tenshin Nasukawa, it was the first official loss of his combat sports career, including his kickboxing days.

"So this is a fight where he seeks revenge against the man who handed him his first loss ever and subsequently blocked him from his first world title.

"Early on in the first fight, it was the boxing novice Tenshin Nasukawa who showed his presence early on. Using his signature speed, reactions, and unique sense of distance, he attacked from the outside and landed with his left hand. He took the upper hand early on and looked set to outpoint Inoue over the distance.

"However, the world-class experience shown by Takuma Inoue over the full 12 rounds made the difference. From the middle rounds onward, it was Takuma who grew into the contest and gradually increased his presence. He closed the distance, increased the pressure and the pace, and didn't let Tenshin fight at his preferred distance.

"Inoue landed body shots, straight rights, jabs and uppercuts, taking control of the fight, neutralised his foe and imposed his own gameplan.

"The rematch is so intriguing because it's not just a continuation of the first fight, because it's not the exact same two people in the ring. Each one has gone on their own journey and benefitted from the victories they have experienced.

"Since that sole defeat, Tenshin gained a very significant victory over former two-weight world champion Juan Francisco Estrada, stopping him in the ninth round.

"He bounced back from his first loss emphatically and earned the right to challenge Takuma Inoue again.

"But Inoue has also had a big win in May 2026 when he defended his title by defeating Kazuto Ioka via a 12-round decision, gaining even more experience as a world champion.

"Tenshin was bright in the early stages, but couldn't keep it up, partly due to inexperience but mostly down to Inoue's increasing dominance. There's lessons to learn and improvements to be made there for the challenger, but there's the same to be said for the champion, who now possesses a full 12-rounds of data on his opponent and who will know to get going quicker and to not give away a few early rounds like before.

"I could analyse this fight forever, stating my case for both boxers, but I'm going to close this debate early by giving the champion Inoue the nod. I think Nasukawa will be better and more difficult to pin down than the first fight, offering more movement and resistance, but for Inoue to win on points again, perhaps a closer split decision this time."

Full Card

Main Event:
Takuma Inoue vs Tenshin Nasukawa
12x3 WBC World bantamweight title

Tomoya Tsuboi vs Ricardo Malajika
12x3 WBC World super-flyweight title

Ryosuke Nishida vs Sam Goodman
12x3 IBF Interim super-bantamweight title

Ryusei Matsumoto vs Russell Acosta
12x3 WBO Interim minimumweight title

Hayato Aiko vs Natsuki Kuramochi
4x3 Featherweight

Memorable Japan vs Japan Fights

Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida. June 8th, 2025: A historic unification match between unbeaten Japanese southpaws that solidified Nakatani as a world boxing star.

Yasuei Yakushiji vs. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi. December 4th, 1994: A landmark battle that made history as two Japanese fighters collided for divisional supremacy, generating unprecedented media coverage in Japan.

Takuma Inoue vs. Tenshin Nasukawa. Nov. 24th, 2025: Takuma Inoue became a two-time WBC champion delivering a masterful performance over Tenshin Nasukawa in a high-level technical battle.

Takuma Inoue vs. Kazuto Ioka. May. 5th, 2026: Inoue successfully defended his WBC bantamweight world title with a unanimous decision victory over Kazuto Ioka at the Tokyo Dome in a high-level technical contest. From the opening rounds, Inoue made the difference with his speed, precision, and distance control, neutralizing Ioka’s offensive attempts.