Naoya Inoue's first fight on American soil since 2021 resulted in a successful defense of his undisputed junior featherweight championship against Ramon Cardenas, though the fight was full of unexpected drama.

The boxing world set its eyes on Top Rank and Naoya Inoue on Sunday, hoping they could come through after two disappointing nights on what was once hyped as one of boxing's most stacked weekends of fights in recent memory.

Following a weekend of gimmicks — led by a VIP-attended card in Times Square and a sparsely-attended breakfast fight in Saudi Arabia — Naoya Inoue and Ramon Cardenas reminded boxing what makes its sport so special.