Naoya “The Monster” Inoue Solidifies Status as One of Boxing’s Greats
New York City (January 15, 2023) – Naoya “The Monster” Inoue, the dominant junior featherweight undisputed champion, is now facing the question of what’s next for the boxing phenom. The 31-year-old Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) recently made an appearance in New York City to receive the prestigious Fighter of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America.
During his visit, Inoue attended Saturday night’s bout at Madison Square Garden Theater and was interviewed by Mark Kriegel on the ESPN telecast. The four-weight titleholder has demonstrated his immense power and skill across multiple divisions, having become an undisputed champion at both bantamweight and junior featherweight in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
“For me, it is important for me to recognize myself as the best,” Inoue humbly stated when asked who he considers the best fighter in the world. The Japanese champion was also impressed by the recent clash between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence.
While fans eagerly await Inoue’s potential move to the featherweight division, the champion explained that he will make the decision to move up in weight “when I am ready and when my body is ready.” Potential matchups, such as a clash with fellow Japanese titleholder Junto Nakatani (27-0, 20 KOs), have also been discussed, with Inoue acknowledging Nakatani as “a good fighter” and expressing interest in a future showdown.
Inoue last fought in May 2022, when he stopped Luis Nery in the sixth round via technical knockout after recovering from a shock knockdown in the opening session. As Inoue continues to cement his status as one of the best fighters in the sport, boxing enthusiasts eagerly await his next move, whether it’s a division jump or a showdown with another elite champion.
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