Man, let me just say, Naoya Inoue getting up from that knockdown—only the second in his whole pro gig—felt like watching some real drama unfold right there in Vegas. Ramon Cardenas? That dude has a chin like, I don’t even know, like iron or something. Plus, he’s got the heart to match. The timing? Impeccable. Fans got a show, no denying that. But Inoue? He’s a freakin’ powerhouse, man. Wrapped things up early in the 8th round, holding on to those titles like they’re made of gold. Well, they kinda are in boxing, aren’t they?
Inoue’s sitting at 30-0, with 27 knockouts. Cardenas, though, came in fast, his jab slicing through the air like a sword. The 2nd round, though, that’s where things went wobbly. Cardenas (26-2, 14 knockouts) landed a sneaky left that dropped Inoue to the floor. A moment like that and you’re like, “Wait, did that really just happen?”
Got me thinking back to when Luis Nery did a similar dance with Inoue. Almost déjà vu, really. I mean, Cardenas wasn’t just lucky, nah, he was keeping it real and consistent. Four rounds deep and I’d say even the unofficial scorecards had him ahead. If I’m wrong, ESPN’s Mark Kriegel and Bad Left Hook might back me up, but who knows, right? Opinions fly everywhere.
So, 4th round rolls around, and Inoue’s grinning like he’s having the time of his life. He rattled Cardenas, sure, but a neat counter in the 5th brought Inoue back down a peg. It’s like the universe was saying, “Hey, chill out, man,” making him rethink his next move.
The 5th was kinda Cardenas’ last dance. Inoue found his rhythm in the 6th, hitting harder, almost like a jazz drummer who just found his groove. The 7th was brutal, Cardenas eating punches like it’s his day job and then hit the canvas hard near round’s end.
Joel Diaz tried to pep talk Cardenas after the 7th, like, “Dude, one more, just one more round!” But yeah, referee Tom Taylor wasn’t having it in the 8th. Inoue turned up the heat, and with zero punches coming back from Cardenas, the ref ended it right there. Smart move, really.
Fans loved the energy, and Cardenas? He earned a bunch of new supporters for sure. As for Inoue, getting knocked down by the same counter left again isn’t the greatest look. Let’s call it a sign—one of those cosmic nudges to work on something before September’s showdown with Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Post-victory announcement and all, there’s always room for fix-ups when you’re gunning for greatness.
Switching over to another brawl, Rafael Espinoza versus Edward Vazquez. Espinoza, man, that guy is a force. By the 7th round, Vazquez was looking overwhelmed. Espinoza’s something like 27-0, 23 KOs, and it shows.
Vazquez gave it a go, though, trying his best to keep the pressure on early and get close. But Espinoza’s uppercuts, those brutal left hooks to the body? Yeah, Vazquez just couldn’t fend them off. Tough game, this one. Vazquez at 17-3, 4 KOs, comes with smarts—definitely not a pushover.
He aimed to win, not just endure. But hey, Espinoza’s shots were heavier than pumpkins in a pie-eating contest, and Vazquez’s corner, plus referee Harvey Dock, were all thinking about calling it by round 5. Vazquez stuck around a bit longer, but by late in the 7th, he was backed into a corner, no punches coming from him, and Dock said enough’s enough. Fair call, in my opinion.
And that’s that, two nights of fists flying and dreams on the line. Pretty wild ride, wouldn’t you say?
