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When the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament started, it was predictable that Naoya Inoue's particular brand of violence would land him in the finals. After a first-round knockout of Juan Carlos Payano in the quarterfinals and a second-round stoppage of Emmanuel Rodríguez in the semifinals, that's exactly where he finds himself, though very few expected it would be Nonito Donaire standing in the opposite corner.

Ryan Burnett seemed a likely finalist in the initial tournament bracket after being paired with Donaire (40-5, 26 KOs) in the quarterfinals. Then undefeated through 18 career fights, Burnett suffered a back injury after four rounds of back-and-forth action and was forced to retire before Round 5 could get underway, giving Donaire a pass to the second round of the tournament. It was a big moment for Donaire, who was once considered among boxing's pound-for-pound elite. Donaire won the WBA bantamweight belt with the victory, his first fight at bantamweight since October 2011 when he defeated Omar Narvaez to retain the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles.

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A tough fight against WBO champ Zolani Tete in the semifinals was up next for Donaire, except it wasn't to be. Tete suffered a shoulder injury in the week leading up to the fight and contingency backup Stephon Young was brought in to face the Hall of Fame-bound Filipino. Young put up a good fight before falling victim to Donaire's trademark left hook in Round 6.

Donaire is weeks away from turning 37 and has won world championships at 112, 118, 122, and 126. Before entering the WBSS, he was fighting at featherweight, most recently losing an April 2018 decision to Carl Frampton. His days as an elite fighter seem to be in the rearview, but now he has the opportunity to deliver a legacy-changing victory against Inoue after a string of fortunate breaks led him to the finals.

Inoue (18-0, 16 KOs) has proven a wrecking machine, winning the WBC light flyweight championship in his sixth career fight, moved up two divisions two fights later to capture the WBO belt at 115 pounds. After defending that title successfully seven times he made another jump, winning the WBA bantamweight belt with a first-round knockout of Jamie McDonnell before entering the WBSS tournament.

Inoue has managed to carry his insane power with him up to bantamweight, where Rodriguez has been his most successful opponent simply by making it to the second round. With titles in multiple weight classes, vicious stopping power and an undefeated record, Inoue ranks among today's pound-for-pound elite. Donaire also carries serious power, especially in his left hook and has one of the most impressive resumes in the world among active boxers, but is an understandably heavy underdog sitting at +550 at MGM while Inoue is a -900 favorite.

Thursday also marks the return of Inoue's brother, Taukma Inoue, who takes on Nordine Oubaali for the WBC bantamweight title. Takuma Inoue boasts and undefeated record at 13-0, but has just three finishes in his young career. Oubaali, meanwhile, is 16-0 with 12 knockouts and is heavily favored to retain his title.

Inoue vs. Donaire viewing information

  • Date: Nov. 7 | Location: Super Arena -- Saitama, Japan
  • Start time: 5 a.m. ET | Main event: 7:30 a.m. ET
  • TV/live stream: DAZN (subscription required)

Inoue vs. Donaire prediction

It's entirely fair to balk at Donaire's Cinderella-story run to the finals. His stiffest test ended when Burnett was injured and he faced a less challenging opponent in the semifinals after Tete was hurt. But he did hang with Burnett in a decent fight prior to the injury and he did what he had to do against Young. Cinderella didn't get things done on her own, either. It took the mice and a fairy godmother to get her to the ball. That said, Inoue is one of the absolute best fighters on the planet. Even faded, Donaire is tough, having only been stopped by hard-hitting Nicholas Walters in his career. Inoue is a special talent -- potentially even a generational one. Prediction: Naoya Inoue via TKO6