Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Naoya Inoue shaken late in clash with Murodjon Akhmadaliev while chasing Terence Crawford

Originally posted on HITC | By James Sweetnam | Last updated Sep 15, 2025 7:42 AM ET

Naoya Inoue got past Murodjon Akhmadaliev, though not without a tense finish.

Terence Crawford took down Canelo Alvarez in a unanimous decision on Saturday night, putting together one of the most impressive wins of his career.

Despite being the smaller man, he was in control throughout, outclassing one of boxing’s biggest names.

The boxing world struggled to process just how good the performance was, and Canelo even went as far as to say that ‘Bud’ is better than Floyd Mayweather.

But just hours after that fight wrapped up, Inoue reminded everyone why he belongs among today’s boxing greats, ensuring Crawford was not left alone in that conversation.

Naoya Inoue keeps Murodjon Akhmadaliev under control but suffers late scare

Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Inoue successfully defended his undisputed super bantamweight title, defeating Akhmadaliev by unanimous decision at the IG Arena in Nagoya.

The Japanese star controlled the fight, landing clean shots upstairs and to the body, despite Akhmadaliev’s occasional successes.

But with just seconds left in the final round, Inoue was caught by a heavy right hand from Akhmadaliev. It was a clean shot that shook him but came too late to change anything.

https://twitter.com/trboxing/status/1967185112409284762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

He stayed upright and did enough to see out the final seconds, securing another clear decision on the cards.

It may not have been one of Inoue’s more explosive performances, but it showed again why he remains one of boxing’s standout talents of this generation.