Inoue spoke on Monday and laid out the plans for his next several fights.
#5 Ramon Cardenas in Las Vegas in May at 122
#1 Murodjon Akhmadaliev in Tokyo in September at 122
#2 Nick Ball in Riyadh in December at 126
Junto Nakatani in Tokyo in Spring 2026 (presumably at 122)
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/03/1f6e869980f8-boxing-inoue-eyes-may-bout-in-las-vegas-nakatani-showdown-in-2026.html
Of course this is dependent upon:
1. Inoue continuing to win
2. Nick Ball beating TJ Doheny
3. Nakatani continuing to win
Interesting that he'd be willing to jump to 126 for Ball and then, presumably, back down to 122 for Nakatani. Maybe that's why he's targeting Ball for his 126 debut, as the smallest belt holder there at the moment.
Hopefully this all comes to pass, and we don't get anymore late replacements or clowns like Goodman, Picasso, or Casimero wasting everybody's time.
Love how dead silent MJ and Hearn are these days.
Since the Monster called out MJ, MJ starting to get those jitters man....
Goodman was also talkin a lot, until the bout became real.
we will see... i can see inoue beating junto on a decision but a KO?? junto is a lot more craftier than Inoue's recent opponents. he's really good at sitting up his power shots. he's almost like Inoue but he's more aggressive imo.
Inoue has been fighting much better guys than Nakatani recently.
Nakatani since 2022:
W vs Ryota Yamauchi TKO 8
W vs Francisco Rodriguez Jr. UD 10 (former WBO/IBF strawweight world titlist)
W vs Andrew Moloney KO 12
W vs Argi Cortes UD 12
W vs Alexandro Santiago TKO 6 (reigning WBC bantamweight world titlist)
W vs Vincent Astrolabio TKO 1
W vs Petch CP Freshmart TKO 6
W vs David Cuellar TKO 10
Inoue since 2022:
W vs Nonito Donaire TKO 2 (reigning WBC bantamweight world titlist; former 4 division world titlist)
W vs Paul Butler KO 11 (reigning WBO bantamweight world titlist; former IBF world titlist)
W vs Stephen Fulton Jr TKO 8 (reigning WBC/WBO super bantamweight world titlist; future WBC featherweight world titlist)
W vs Marlon Tapales KO 10 (reigning WBA/IBF super bantamweight world titlist; former WBO bantamweight world titlist)
W vs Luis Nery KO 6 (former WBC/Ring bantamweight and WBC super bantamweight world titlist)
W vs TJ Doheny TKO 7 (former IBF super bantamweight world titlist)
W vs Ye-Joon Kim TKO 4
We'll see who Nakatani fights after the Nishida unification if he wins that one, but I think he needs to step up his level of competition if he's going to mix it up with Inoue. Unify with Nishida and then move up to 122 and fight someone like Tapales or Nery.
We know Inoue plans to fight Cardenas, Akhmadaliev, and Ball before the Nakatani fight. Three more top level guys. He'll be sharp and he'll be ready.
I think Inoue puts Nakatani to sleep.
we will see... i can see inoue beating junto on a decision but a KO?? junto is a lot more craftier than Inoue's recent opponents. he's really good at sitting up his power shots. he's almost like Inoue but he's more aggressive imo.
The most impressive thing is the activity. The man just lines up contenders and knocks them down, then sets up another one in a few months. He's a machine.
being too active will be his downfall. or it'll be junto that give him his first L.
The most impressive thing is the activity. The man just lines up contenders and knocks them down, then sets up another one in a few months. He's a machine.
He keeps doing what everybody says he won't. And they keep changing the goalpost in what he must do. Lmfao.
Nobody else is destroying their opponents and haters psyche like this.
y
yes, i know he has fought here before... i was only saying that after the fight with kim, they made the " Inoue is coming to the USA" a big deal. Inoue even announce it during the post fight interview and boxing writers was putting out articles about it, etc.. then come to find out, he's only planning on fighting once in the US for 2025.
He'll almost definitely fight Angelo Leo, Rafael Espinoza, and the Fulton rematch in the US if they still have the belts when he gets done with Ball and Nakatani.
Obviously Nakatani is a fight to do in Japan, that can sell out Tokyo Dome. Ball and Akhmadaliev aren't American or Mexican so it doesn't make a ton of sense to do the fights over here.
y
yes, i know he has fought here before... i was only saying that after the fight with kim, they made the " Inoue is coming to the USA" a big deal. Inoue even announce it during the post fight interview and boxing writers was putting out articles about it, etc.. then come to find out, he's only planning on fighting once in the US for 2025.
I honestly didn't expect him to fight more than 1 or times here. Hes a main event fighter. Here in the U.S. it would have to be a stacked card for people to come out. TR and their sheisty ways aren't putting up money or a card like that
y
Hes been to America. Would it be cool for him to fight here again? Sure, but in the end, ALL BOXERS follow the money and if TR isnt putting up money to entice him, OBVIOUSLY Alalshik will/is
yes, i know he has fought here before... i was only saying that after the fight with kim, they made the " Inoue is coming to the USA" a big deal. Inoue even announce it during the post fight interview and boxing writers was putting out articles about it, etc.. then come to find out, he's only planning on fighting once in the US for 2025.
yeah but after Inoue's fight with kim, they were hyping it up "he's coming to america", etc..
Hes been to America. Would it be cool for him to fight here again? Sure, but in the end, ALL BOXERS follow the money and if TR isnt putting up money to entice him, OBVIOUSLY Alalshik will/is
No point in coming here. U.S. fans rarely care about small fighters. For those of us who do, like me, I don't mind waking up early to watch his fighys in Japan or an early matinee in SA
yeah but after Inoue's fight with kim, they were hyping it up "he's coming to america", etc..
so much for inoue coming to the US... for a 1 fight deal. LOL
No point in coming here. U.S. fans rarely care about small fighters. For those of us who do, like me, I don't mind waking up early to watch his fighys in Japan or an early matinee in SA