Inoue, Cardenas saves Cinco De Mayo Weekend

Cinco De Mayo Weekend in Las Vegas is usually reserved for Canelo Alvarez. However, he headlined a show in Saudi Arabia.

This year, undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue was the headliner, and he didn’t disappoint.

Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs) demonstrated his resilience on Sunday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against Ramon Cardenas (26-2, 14 KOs). Despite being dropped near the end of the second round by a counter left hand from Cardenas, Inoue didn’t let this setback stop him.

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“By watching tonight’s fight, everyone is well aware that I like to brawl,” Inoue said after the win. “I was very surprised {at the knockdown}, but I took things calmly and put myself together.

“In the first round, I felt I had good distance. It got loose in the second round. From then on, I made sure to not take that punch again.”

Despite the adversity, Inoue’s victory was nothing short of exhilarating. He rose from the knockdown, maintained the pressure on Cardenas, and ultimately secured a thrilling eighth-round TKO victory.

Friday night in Times Square was a disappointment, and Saturday in Saudi Arabia was just as bad, but Inoue, who returned to American soil for the first time in almost four years, saved the day.

By rounds five and six, Inoue began landing counterpunches cleanly, forcing Cardenas to cover up while Inoue looked for openings around his guard. In the seventh, Cardenas had Inoue on the defensive as the Japanese star absorbed punches with his gloves. But moments later, Inoue stunned Cardenas with a right hand before consecutive rights dropped him. He returned to his feet, but another flurry in the following round forced referee Thomas Taylor to halt the contest at 45 seconds.

Cardenas, 29, was willing to go out on his shield.

“I never cared about losses,” he said. “It’s about the best fighting the best.. I told my trainer that if I’m going out, then I’m going to go out on my shield. That’s what I did. I’m not sad. But I’m bummed out. It is what it is.”

The 32-year-old Inoue is a special talent; he showed that special talent on Sunday, displaying his exceptional speed, power, and ring intelligence. Fortunately, he saved the weekend of boxing with his remarkable performance.