He's gonna win this award(s) over there every year until he retires. As good as some of the other Japanese fighters are, this dude is just something different.
He's basically won it 6 times in a row, and seventh time in his career. If anything next year is the first chance in years for the other boxers as he'll likely "only" do defenses without getting a new belts so others getting multiple belts will possibly put them above him.
Past 7 Inoue Japanese FotY wins:
2023 Won 4 newbelts to go undisputed at 122.
2022 Won 2 new belts to go undisputed at 118.
2021 As the only Japanese unified champion that fought twice (Due to COVID 2020-2021 majority of the Japanese boxers were shelved so it was a somewhat de facto win).
2020 As the only Japanese unified champion that fought and won.
2019 Won 2 new belts and WBSS.
2018 Won the "Regular" belt to become the sixth Japanese three division champion boxer.
2014 Won 2 belts between two divisions.
If Nakatani wins against Santiago this week and can manage to get an unification fight this year at 118 he's got a chance for 2024 MVP.
Yes he's the best in Japan and only known in Japan
arigatou gozaimasu
Sure, to casuals of course. Is this an attempt at a snub? Then again name me a single boxer since Tyson that’s been known outside of boxing….i’ll wait. Your average person that doesn’t watch boxing doesn’t know a single one.
Comment