Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire Odd & Picks
- Inoue vs Donaire goes Thursday, November 7, 2019 at 6:00 am EST
- Can Inoue add yet another KO to the highlight reel or will Donaire turn back the clock and score the W?
- See the odds for Thursday’s bout here
Inoue vs Donaire promises to be a high octane crossroads fight. The event emanates from Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The pugilistic proceedings will broadcast on DAZN. WBA super champion Nonito Donaire takes on surging IBF world bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue. Inoue vs Donaire pits the number one and three ranked bantamweights, respectively per BoxRec, against each other.
The title unification bout is also the final for the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament. Check out the fight odds and my bout analysis below.
Inoue vs Donaire Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Naoya Inoue | -900 |
| Nonito Donaire | +550 |
Odds taken Nov. 04
Inoue has been eyeballing a fight with Donaire since the tournament started. Inoue is a three-division titlist who is working himself up in the hierarchy of the pound for pound rankings. Donaire is a legendary four-division titlist but his competitive career is clearly winding down.
This WBSS tournament has renewed some of his vigor and stoked the flames of public sentiment surrounding his fighting career. Donaire was coming off of a loss to Carl Frampton but rebounded with two emphatic stoppage victories. He has a modicum of traction but I don’t see him getting past Inoue.
Inoue Keeps Spotless Record
One noticeable facet of this fight is the age gap between the combatants. Inoue is ten years younger than Donaire heading into this bout. There’s also something to be said for momentum in combat sports. Donaire is 3-2 in his last five bouts while Inoue is undefeated with an eight-fight knockout streak heading into the bout.
Donaire has been motivated by that though and is looking forward to proving pundits as well as fans wrong. Inoue knows what he’s in for and understands the astonishingly high fight IQ that Donaire has. I think this will be one for the ages.
WBSS BANTAMWEIGHT FINAL pic.twitter.com/kjTqUc5NG9
— 井上尚弥 Naoya Inoue (@naoyainoue_410) October 31, 2019
Inoue also has the benefits of coming from a fighting family. His brother Takuma is challenging for the WBC bantamweight title in the co-feature. This will mark the tenth time the Inoue brothers have fought on the same card and the formula has clearly worked out so far.
Inoue has a near 90-percent KO rate and this does not bode well for his opponent who seems to be in the final stretch of his career. Not just power but Inoue will also look to have the speed advantage being that he’s the younger fighter.
Inoue vs Donaire Tale of the Tape
| 18-0 | Record | 40-5 |
| 16 | Knockouts | 26 |
| 5’5 | Height | 5’7.5 |
| 67.5″ | Reach | 68″ |
| Emmanuel Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Payano, Jamie McDonnell |
Significant Wins | Zsolt Bedák, Simpiwe Vetyeka, Jorge Arce |
| orthodox | Stance | orthodox |
This will be a compelling prize fight at 118 lbs. The ring savvy of Donaire coupled with the explosiveness of Inoue looks intriguing on paper. Donaire is confident that he has the perfect strategy to outpace his younger opponent. Inoue doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that will fall into Donaire’s traps.
He knows how calculated Donaire is and is not headhunting his opponent. Inoue is a prolific KO artist, as mentioned, but has indicated in the lead up for this that he thinks the fight will end via decision. He’s looking to play the long game and Inoue thinks he’ll outpoint Donaire by a wide margin when all is said and done. I don’t see how Donaire beats a calculated KO artist who is also younger and quicker. I have Inoue winning via unanimous decision.
Pick: Inoue (-900)
A part-time writer and full-time broadcaster, Dylan has hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, and covered some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage.
