Comments Thread For: Does Naoya Inoue Need U.S. Exposure To Validate His Greatness?

[BoxingUpdates]

Naoya Inoue's May 6 defense of his undisputed junior featherweight titles will be his sixth consecutive bout in his native Japan.
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[Willow The Wisp]

Not in my opinion. He is Japan's global star.

[Knuckle sandwich]

Inoue doesn't need America.


Boxing is a global sport, boxing fans can experience Japanese culture, especially those fans who don't know what culture is.

[a5pe4]

He doesn't need it if he keeps beating the top fighters and names in the sport. But it would definitely help him be known to the greater public.

[Joseph]

Nah. More US exposure certainly won't hurt, but it's not a pressing issue.

[crixus85]

An ill informed thread. Inoue has already had title fights in America and Scotland, Apart from winning a title overseas, Crawford hasn’t used his passport. Alvarez is another home bird, there are many more.

[Tibburon245]

Since we can all watch video, TV etc. we know Inoue beats the S out of every fighter he faces. Fighting in the US won't hurt, that's for sure. Unless he loses.

[Boro]

Certainly not, he's already fought internationally, proven his p4p status and he's arguably the highest paid combat athlete in and around his weight...

And lets not pretend other fighters leave their home base and also not act like America really cares about anything below 135 if their fighters aren't represent heavily in the division(s) they couldn't care less...

Some examples of fights who never left the USA - Ward, Floyd and multitude of others and then there is guys like Wilder who win a belt and never leave their homebase for the entirety of their reign.

[Clegg]

“There’s a lot of people who respect Inoue and what he’s doing,” Porter said. “But if you’re someone like me, you’re saying, ‘Hey, let’s get him out of his own backyard, get him a little uncomfortable and see how he handles the energy when he’s not at home.”

These 'unbiased' American analysts never seem to want to see their own countrymen made uncomfortable and have their energy tested. Especially hypocritical when Porter is the guy in question, because he didn't fight outside him home country a single time. The Brook fight would've had a bigger crowd in the UK but Porter refused that offer and insisted it be in the US, and he still lost anyway. Now he criticises a guy who actually has travelled multiple times, with no sense of self-awareness. Just saying any illogical nonsense as long as it's pro-USA.

The article says Inoue should go to the US to break the bank. He's fighting in a 50,000 capacity stadium next, he'd be taking a pay cut if he went to the US, not breaking the bank. Inoue is a 31 year old SBW who doesn't speak English, he's not going to become a huge PPV star in the US at this point. If he fights outside Japan in the future, Saudi is more likely to offer him 'break the bank' money.

[wildman]

Inoue has already fought in the USA several times, and in Scotland as well. Who cares where he fights as long as he continues to face elite opponents every time out?