Japan’s Greatest Boxer: Naoya Inoue
Ahead of what has been called the biggest event in the history of Japanese boxing, renowned boxing historian Joe Koizumi has rated Naoya Inoue as Japan’s greatest boxer.
Koizumi, who first started writing for The Ring in the 1960s at just 17 years old, is a boxing encyclopaedia and was enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008. With a license from the Japan Boxing Commission since 1965 and involvement in over 150 world title fights, Koizumi has an extensive background in the sport and believes Inoue is the best boxer his country has ever produced.
In Koizumi’s list of the five best fighters from Japan, Jiro Watanabe, Kuniaki Shibata, Yoko Gushiken, and Fighting Harada are also recognized for their impressive accomplishments. Watanabe was a southpaw WBC/WBA unified champion, while Shibata won world titles in two weight classes, defeating notable opponents like Vicente Saldivar and Ben Villaflor abroad.
However, Koizumi considers the 31-year-old Inoue, known as the “Monster,” to be the greatest Japanese boxer of all time. The unified super bantamweight champion is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the sport today, having won titles in four different weight classes and on the verge of potential success at featherweight.
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