
Naoya Inoue: Boxing’s Smallest Giant
The country of Japan has always claimed many great fighters in their respective sports. It has produced mixed martial arts legends like Kazushi Sakuraba. Additionally, it boasts kickboxers like Takeru Segawa. However, the nation filled with fighting pride had never seen a boxing superstar until Naoya Inoue hit the scene.
A Quick Rise
A 19-year-old Naoya Inoue began his professional boxing career on October 22, 2012. He faced the experienced Philippines native, Crison Omayao (16-4-1). Inoue would go on to score a knockout, using a devastating left uppercut to the body. This attack left Omayao on the canvas in the fourth round, forcing the ref to call the fight. The young and hungry fighter made the most of his time. He appeared inside the ring on four separate occasions in 2013. Inoue increased his level of competition during these fights. He defeated legitimate threats like Yuki Sano, Ryoichi Taguchi, and Jerson Mancio.
It did not take the young Japanese prodigy long before being granted an opportunity to fight for a world title. On April 6, 2014, Inoue would challenge the Mexican WBC World Light Flyweight Champion, Adrian Hernandez (29-2-1) in Tokyo, Japan. The two elite light flyweights engaged in a grueling battle of will, with Inoue leading the action. The action concluded in the sixth round. The young and undefeated challenger delivered a short straight punch on the champion. Hernandez could rise back to his feet but provided insufficient responsiveness to the referee’s attention during the 10-count.
Moving Up Weight Classes
After successfully defending his WBC World Light Flyweight Championship against Wittawas Basapean on September 5, 2014, Inoue decided to move up to super flyweight. Now standing at 7-0, the young champion was allowed to take on his new division’s best immediately. Inoue would challenge Argentinian WBO World Super Flyweight Champion, Omar Andres Narvaez (43-1-2), on December 30 later that year. Inoue dropped Narvaez twice in the first two rounds. He then went on to dethrone the champion via second-round knockout.
Fast forward to 2018, Inoue and his team decided to move again, this time to bantamweight. The ambitious two-weight world champion took on a new challenge, United Kingdom’s Jamie McDonnell (29-2-1) on May 25, 2018. Inoue made a defining statement in this bamtamweight debut fight by scoring a flashy first-round finish. Inoue was undefeated and determined, looking to climb his way towards a title shot. At the World Boxing Super Series tournament, he faced Juan Carlos Payano (20-1-0). Inoue defeated Payano in highlight-reel fashion with a first-round knockout after landing a flush jab and straight combination.
Inoue’s most heated and bad-blood-fueled fight to date was against Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-0-0). They fought for the IBF World Bantamweight Championship on May 18, 2019, in Glasgow, England. The two-weight world champion faced him in the World Boxing Super Series tournament semi-finals. Williams Cruz, who was Rodriguez’s coach, then confronted Inoue’s father/coach, Shingo Inoue. He threatened and shoved him three days before their fight. This resulted in the emotions building up to the fight intensifying exponentially. Inoue used this pre-fight conflict as motivation as he achieved a second-round TKO. He dropped Rodriguez three times in the second round. The last two were body shots. This defining victory was the precursor to the biggest fight of Inoue’s professional career.
The Career Defining Fight
Now in the World Boxing Super Series finals, Inoue would face all-time great Nonito Donaire (40-5-0) on November 7, 2019. They fought for the Muhammad Ali Trophy and the IBF World Bantamweight Championship. Donaire was a tough matchup for Inoue as he took him to the scorecards. Inoue started the fight with strength. However, Donaire landed a damaging left hook in the second round. This forced Inoue to shell up and fight defensively. This same left hook is what reportedly caused a fractured right eye socket to Inoue. The face of Japanese boxing was able to get ahead on the scorecards early in the fight. Yet, Donaire gained traction in the middle to later rounds. Inoue’s untested grit and resilience shined through. The young star relied on it to reach the closing championship rounds. He gained the edge on the scorecards and won by unanimous decision, (116-111, 114-113, 117-109).
Pursuit of Undisputed at Bantamweight
After winning the World Boxing Super Series and the Muhammad Ali Trophy, Inoue remained determined. He focused on defending his IBF World Bantamweight title. He worked his way down the bantamweight likes of Jason Moloney, Michael Dasmarinas, and Aran Dipaen. Inoue defeated all three challengers within eight rounds. Fast forward to 2022, Inoue crossed paths with a familiar opponent. He rematched Nonito Donaire (42-6). This was a defense of his IBF World Championship. It was also for Donaire’s newly acquired WBC World Bantamweight title.
Donaire, 39, was visibly a shell of himself compared to their first meeting in the ring. The older champion failed to match the foot and hand speed of the younger champion throughout the opening round. Inoue landed a hard left hook on the temple of Donaire, causing him to wobble on his feet. This sight sent Inoue into attack mode, hounding Donaire with pressure and a crisp combination of punching against the ropes. The young, undefeated three-weight champion delivered a fast three-punch combo on Donaire, which sent him crashing to the ground. The ref had seen enough, waving the fight off before Donaire attempted to return to his feet. Inoue now only needed the sole remaining WBO Bantamweight title for undisputed status.
On December 13, 2022, Inoue would finally have the chance at undisputed status. He faced WBO World Bantamweight Champion, Paul Butler (34-2). Inoue pitched a shutout of Butler over eleven dominant rounds. He delivered fight-ending body shots with Butler shelled up against the ropes. This victory made Inoue the first Undisputed Bantamweight Champion since 1972.
Pursuit of Undisputed at Super Bantamweight
Seven months later, Inoue would make his debut at super bantamweight. His debut came against the undefeated WBC and WBO World Super Bantamweight Champion, Philly native, Stephen Fulton (21-0). Their fight occurred on July 25, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. This title fight was arguably the most exposure Inoue has gotten from American fans. Fulton was a highly-touted, undefeated world champion fighting out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Fulton is a crafty outside boxer. He could nick a round or two off of the Japanese superstar. However, Inoue’s well-rounded skill set, composed of speed, power, and defense, proved too much for Americans to handle. Comfortably ahead on the scorecards by the eighth round, Inoue landed an emphatic right hand on Fulton’s jaw. This punch sent him backpedaling until he was knocked down by a follow-up left hook from Inoue. Fulton managed to beat the count and get back to his feet. Inoue sensed blood swarming Fulton with a flurry of tight punches in the corner. He let a combination loose until knocking Fulton unconscious with a short left hook. Inoue now held the WBC and WBO World Super Bantamweight titles, making him a four-weight world champion.
Five months later, Inoue prepared to challenge IBF World Super Bantamweight Champion, Marlon Tapales (37-3). Tapales was game, and displayed true grit and toughness inside the ring. However, the champion was overmatched skill-set-wise. Inoue controlled the action for ten rounds. Then, he walked Tapales down, landing a heavy right hand. Tapales was unable to beat the count, so the fight was stopped. This historic victory made Naoya Inoue the Undisputed World Super Bantamweight Champion. This accomplishment placed Inoue alongside the elite four-belt-era company. Champions like Oleksandr Usyk, Terence Crawford, Claressa Shields, and Katie Taylor share this distinction.
Naoya’s Next Fight
Inoue will not slow down any time soon. He defended his Undisputed World Bantamweight titles twice in 2024. The Japanese superstar has continued to batter elite opposition since. He finished Luis Nery (35-1) recently, and also finished TJ Doheny (26-4) most recently. He now faces Je Yoon Kim (21-2-2) on January 24. Kim filled in as a short-notice replacement for top contender Sam Goodman (19-0).
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