Naoya Inoue's unique problems are not of her making - but this plan can fix them

Naoya Ino may be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. That sentiment has been shared many times in these pages, even with Oleksandr Osik’s back-to-back victories over Tyson Fury in 2024, and Terence Crawford’s repeated wins. In fact, there are no better measuring sticks for Inoue than Usyk and Crawford.

Inoue, Crawford and Osik – IndependentThe top three pound-for-pound boxers, respectively—are the only fighters in the four-belt era who have been undisputed champions at two weights. Crawford did this first, adding the unmistakable lightweight gold to his ultralight silverware. Inoue later followed in 2023 and became undisputed at super bantamweight, having previously achieved that status at bantamweight. Then Usyk got involved last May, the former cruiserweight king winning a classic match with Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years.

And given that all three men are undefeated, you’ll have to split your hair for them to split. Usyk is only a two-weight champion overall, while Crawford’s latest win made him a four-weight champion. Inoue has also held world titles in four divisions, but his knockout rate (25 KOs out of 28 wins) exceeds that of Crawford and Usyk. An unmatched cruelty

All of this is to say: the average boxing fan might be quick to name Crawford or Usyk as the greatest boxers alive—they might not even be aware of it—but the Japanese’s accomplishments may actually outpace the Americans and the Ukrainians. overtake Inoue’s profile basically doesn’t match his skill set.

On Friday, the 31-year-old made a third defense of his undisputed super bantamweight belts against Ye Joon Kim in Tokyo. The Korean is expected to be a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter for Ino’s worshipers as he steps in at short notice for Sam Goodman, whose fight with Ino was postponed in December and canceled this month. However, if Goodman’s eye cut had healed properly, if he had shared a ring with Ino, would he have been much better off than Kim? At 26, the Australian had youth and an unbeaten record on his side, yet few gave him a chance against “The Monster”.

Naoya Inoue (left) recovered from a shock knockdown to eliminate Louis Neri last year. (AP)

That’s not to say Inoue’s rivals aren’t formidable foes. That charge is sometimes leveled at the small, dominant champion, but their inability to trouble Inoue is due to his generational talent – not a lack of skill or toughness in his opponents. Luis Neri, who scored a first-round knockdown of Inoue last year, is the only man to threaten the Japanese, yet the Mexican touched the canvas in rounds two, five and six. In the last of them, he was unable to stand. Like many of Inoue’s knockouts, this one is a combination of blistering speed, unfathomable power, and genius shot selection.

Therefore, questions about Inoue’s lack of real competition shouldn’t be overstated, especially when it leads to false fantasy matchups like a fight with Gervonta Davis. The American is one of the few modern boxers with a KO record that matches Inoue’s, but “Tank” primarily fights at featherweight, and even his previous ventures at super bantamweight were two divisions above his current weight – and the heaviest of Inoue’s career.

Eno has sensibly turned down a move to another division, and the belligerent Davis has surprisingly respected that decision. I will not fight him. Davis wrote on the Internet, while saying this ring Last year: “I don’t fight at featherweight or flyweight just because the money is good. There are a lot of fighters who were looking for the money but didn’t end up doing well and [who] Quitting The reason I box is not for the money. I do this to show my best self. It’s true that I’m motivated to fight strong opponents, but there are reasons for the weight division.

Inoue is an undefeated champion in four weights, who is uncontested in two categories (AFP via Getty)

The only concern could be Saudi involvement in Ino’s courtship. Yes, the Gulf State has put on a lot of great matches over the past two years, but the impending clash between Crawford and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez doesn’t make sense. It seems that none other than Turki Al-Sheikh, the Saudi adviser who initiated the negotiations with Inoue, wants that bout where Crawford does exactly what Inoue refuses to do: two divisions above his current heavyweight. Your weight. Maybe Crawford will win and defy the odds. However, without a rehydration plan, he may have suffered his first professional loss, with much of the blame on the weight difference.

Enjoy over 150 fights on DAZN,
The world house of boxing

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Enjoy over 150 fights on DAZN,
The world house of boxing

Stream now

Therefore, boxing game developers should be careful not to push Inoue beyond his reasonable limits in his quest to find the “right” opponent when that boxer may not exist. Still, there could be a positive side to Inoue’s work with the Saudis – despite lingering concerns about the kingdom’s sporting laundering practices, of course.

Instead of looking for a specific opponent, perhaps the focus should be on looking for the right fight card. Saudi boxing events have attracted a lot of attention from fans due to the quality of the fights shown, and these cards are starting to be shown abroad. Placing Inoue in one of these events could expose him to the international audience he deserves. The Japanese man’s fights are currently broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and ESPN in the US, but Saudi events are usually broadcast on Sky, TNT Sports. and DAZN worldwide.

The Independent ranks Inoue as its No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer (AP)

Make no mistake: There’s nothing wrong with Inoue continuing to sell out Tokyo’s 15,000-capacity Ariak Arena, or for him to return to the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome (his fight with Neri was the first at the stadium since Mike Tyson’s stunner. By Buster Douglas, 34 years ago). The intent here is no disrespect to Japanese fans or to deprive Inoue’s compatriots of seeing their idol up close.

But Inoue’s talent deserves to be reflected in the fullest possible legacy, and this can be confirmed by international fights. Imagine Inoue in London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City. He might have to mark Riaz first, but it might be worth it to take the monster across the world.