Undisputed world super bantamweight boxing champion Naoya Inoue fought back from an early knockdown to stop Mexico's Luis Nery in the sixth round of their title showdown at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
The Japanese star improved to 27-0 with 24 knockouts in the main event of the first boxing card at the venue since Mike Tyson was sensationally knocked out by underdog James "Buster" Douglas in February 1990.
Inoue extended his knockout streak to eight matches.
Nery shocked the crowd by sending Inoue to the canvas halfway through the opening round with a left hook.
But the 31-year-old, nicknamed "Monster," responded with a knockdown of his own in the second round and floored Nery again in the fifth with a big left.
Inoue then landed a decisive right to the head after trapping Nery in the corner in the sixth round, prompting the referee to stop the fight. The 29-year-old Nery dropped to 35-2 with 27 KOs.
"The moment I knocked him out was great, but how did you like the first-round surprise?" Inoue said, referring to his unexpected early knockdown.
"After that, I stayed calm and managed to get back into the fight. My daily training to prepare for any scenario paid off. I believe tonight's fight met the expectations of fans. I'll try to do that in the coming bouts."
More than 40,000 advance tickets were sold, with the most expensive priced at 220,000 yen ($1,430), reflecting the popularity of Inoue, widely regarded as the greatest Japanese boxer of all time.
The Inoue-Nery match was watched on TV or pay-per-view in many parts of the world.
The day's ticket revenue is expected to the highest ever for a boxing event in Japan, according to promoter Akihiko Honda of Teiken Gym.
The crowd was electrified when Inoue entered the arena to a live performance by rock guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei.
Nery, a familiar face to Japanese boxing fans after his two controversial wins over local favorite Shinsuke Yamanaka, was booed when he was introduced in the ring.
In February, the Japan Boxing Commission lifted Nery's ban from fighting in the country, paving the way for him to challenge Inoue.
The JBC suspended the Tijuana native in 2018 from fighting within its jurisdiction after he failed to make weight for his WBC rematch against Yamanaka. Nery had tested positive for a banned substance less than a year earlier.
Earlier on the national holiday in Japan, former K-1 kickboxer Yoshiki Takei took the WBO bantamweight belt from Australia's Jason Moloney by unanimous decision.
Naoya Inoue's younger brother, Takuma Inoue, successfully defended his WBA bantamweight crown, unanimously outpointing Sho Ishida.
Seigo Yuri Akui retained his WBA flyweight title by claiming a unanimous decision over Taku Kuwahara.
Related coverage:
Boxing: Undisputed world champ Inoue prepared for "monumental fight"
Boxing: "Monster" Inoue talks about 10 years as world champion
Boxing: Jerusalem dethrones Shigeoka in split decision
