Undefeated Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue faces unbeaten Puerto Rican bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez for the IBF title in the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight semi-final livestream on DAZN.
The Inoue-Rodriguez WBSS bantamweight semi-final for the Ali Trophy is going to be a battle of undefeated knockout punchers.
Inoue (17-0, 15 KOs) is a three-weight division world champion and currently holds the WBA 118-pound title and is known as the “Monster” because of his knockout style in the ring. The 25-year-old from Japan is eager to unify the belts with Rodriguez and add another KO to his resume.
Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) became a world champion when he won the vacant title in 2018 against Paul Butler. On October 2018 he entered the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament and defeated Australian Jason Moloney by split decision in the quarter-final match.
In Inoue’s quarter-final match he had a vicious first round KO of Juan Carlos Payano and made it a short night. This is why Inoue is so dangerous because he has fight changing power and is always ready to go for the KO when the opportunity arises.
Heading into this semi-final fight, the Japanese Monster is highly favored to win since the Puerto Rican IBF champion’s last few fights have been by decision and he didn’t look that great against Moloney.
The strategy for each fighter will be the aggressive seek and destroy style of Inoue versus the matador approach of hit and not get hit of Rodriguez.
The winner will face WBA (Super) bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire in the finals for the Muhammad Ali trophy.
jwho faces IBF bantamweight titlist Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs), of Puerto Rico, in the World Boxing Super Series semifinals Saturday night at the SSE Hydro in Scotland
Naoya Inoue vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez takes place on Saturday May 18, 2019 at the SSE Hydro in Scotland live streamed online on DAZN, 2:00 PM ET/PT.
