Murodjon Akhmadaliev turning up the legal heat on Naoya Inoue

Former two-belt champion Murodjon ’s legal team is positioning for a battle as an October 29 IBF purse-bid process looms over the next fight for Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight and four-division champion, Naoya Inoue.

As the World Boxing Association’s mandatory challenger to Inoue, 28-0 (25 KOs), Uzbekistan’s Akhmadaliev, 12-1 (9 KOs), argues he’s next in line in the rotation of mandatory challengers an undisputed champion must face – in front of the foe Inoue intends to fight next, IBF mandatory Sam Goodman of Australia. 

“Two fights ago, (the WBA) gave (Inoue) a special exception (to fight someone other than Akhmadaliev (Mexico’s Luis Nery),” Akhmadaliev’s attorney, Pat English, told BoxingScene Tuesday. “It’s long since the WBA’s turn and we’re not going gently into that good night.

“Inoue either gives up that (WBA) title or there’s going to be litigation.”

English penned an email to the leaders of all four sanctioning bodies Tuesday, emphasizing that points minutes after the IBF scheduled a purse bid for the Inoue-Goodman bout following failed negotiations between the promoters for both unbeaten fighters.

“We object to this purse bid and … Mr. Goodman being the next bout of Mr. Inoue,” English wrote in the letter reviewed by BoxingScene. “Murodjon Akhmadaliev is the long-standing WBA mandatory and in order of sequence, the WBA mandatory (long overdue) is next in line. We have demanded that the WBA enforce the mandatory. We do not wish to threaten but we will take legal action if Mr. Inoue attempts to bypass his WBA mandatory.”

It’s unclear how deeply Inoue cares about the undisputed banner. He is believed to be planning for Goodman, then a bout against unbeaten bantamweight champion and countryman Junto Nakatani in 2025 before moving up to featherweight.

Earlier Tuesday, Akhmadaliev’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, posted on “X” that his fighter deserves the opportunity to fight Inoue next as the Inoue promoters, Ohashi and Top Rank, failed to secure the Goodman deal. 

“They don’t want to fight their mandatories, now they are not even wanting to pay hand-picked opponents (who) are obviously (accepting) the fight as a payday only,” Kornilov wrote. “Send Akhmadaliev the offer that was sent to Goodman, and we will make every effort to accept as is.”

Inoue’s U.S. promoter, Bob Arum, has previously chided former WBA-IBF champion Akhmadaliev’s name recognition while most recently having Inoue take a one-sided bout in September versus veteran TJ Doheny in Japan.

And while that disinterest from the promotion is one thing, attorney English argues it’s up to the sanctioning bodies to ensure that undisputed or unified champions or following the proper order of their mandatory obligations.

“The WBA has skipped my guy twice,” English said. “It’s up to the ratings organizations to enforce their rules.

“It’s like in boxing where there’s certain borderline punches that a boxer will use if he can get away with it if a referee doesn’t call them on it. The other side has to object or the judge doesn’t police the situation.”

Akhmadaliev became champion by virtue of his 2020 victory over Daniel Roman and reigned until a disputed April 2023 split-decision loss to Marlon Tapales in which one judge scored the bout 118-110 for Akhmadaliev.

While Tapales proceeded to a 10th-round knockout loss to Inoue in December 2023, Akhmadaliev moved to No. 1 in the WBA ratings afterward.

“If Mr. Inoue wishes to vacate his WBA title, then we cannot object to him fighting someone other than Akhmadaliev, but, as it stands now, we object to anyone or any organization interfering with Mr. Akhmadaliev’s rights,” English wrote.