Comments Thread For: How good is Naoya Inoue?

[_Rexy_]

I don't get your idea of natural weight, to me natural weight is healthy fit and not drying out as Manny and Floyd did dry out at the low weights and didn't do as they went higher, if Floyd and Manny are weighing in at 130lbs and Inoue is weighing in at 122 there is 8lbs between them at that point, they allowed more muscle as they moved up in divisions, their bones don't change, their fat levels only slightly change to they hit the ceiling, so the only real weight gain is muscle and fluid, both Manny and Floyd didn't have to move from 130 they did for the bigger name fights that brought them more acclaim and money.

So having said that we need to know what Inoues weight is on fight night to see how much he drys out for the weighin that's the important number, at 130 Manny was drying out about 14lbs, making their true Natural weight around 144/147 without drying out , if Inoue is 130/135 on fight night he can go to those weight classes and it would be the equivalent of Manny and Floyd at 140/147, his opponent would be bigger because they dry out to make the weight, just as Mannys and Floyds opponents were bigger, and Floyd and Manny fought few full blown WWs like Leonard and Hearns, its all about drying out and fight night weight. and the key question is what does Inoue weight on fight night.

Inoue is stepping into the ring around 135 from what he said to Linares. He's also been the smaller man in every one of his fights at 122. It's a shame that nobody does fight night weights anymore.

[BoxWhere]

Because he is fighting close to his natural weight?

Christ, Pac was fighting guys who were literally walking around at 170 and higher. Pac walked around at the weight he actually fought at. No rehydration nonsense.

Inoue will have to go up to 144 to do what Pac did. I mean will he? I don't really think so, but Pac was freakishly talented and his power carried as he gained muscle.

If Inoue keeps going up and stops a bunch of great fighters and matches Pac or exceeds him, I will je the first to applaud. But the reason Pac is considered so special is because he achieved all of that. It was a great time to be a fan.

But saying Inoue probably isn't going to do that, is not taking away from the fact that he is damn good with insane power at the lower weights. The lower weights are not superstar talents, that is why Inoue will have a hard time being in the all timer discussion. As the weight goes up the power rises and guys have a lot less room for error.

Inoue fanboys are special. Dude is a badass. But to them, say he has to achieve it in the ring first and it's saying he sucks.

And if Inoue ever gets to 147 and asks for a catchweight, NO one will belittle him, just like they didn't Pac. Pac is a tiny dude.

My lord pac was never a flyweight he was just a 15 year old improvised kid. The moment he started eating good he couldn't make weight and got KO'D twice and had to move up not 1 but 3 weight classes. While inoue moved up for new challenge not because he couldn't make weight.

And don't give that BS they were 150 in the ring because margarito was an unranked washed fighter that pac fought for a vacate title at catchweight. Same as inoue fought dohney who was 147 in the ring, it means nothing. And in japan he is known as 6 divison champ and not 8.

And when you said inoue is basic and uses his power to win lol. He doesn't uses his power. He outboxes his opponents and then sets up his KOs. Literally ask any hardcore boxing fan and they tell you he's better boxer than manny. Why because at his base inoue is a pure boxer. It's just that he likes to fight on front foot. Because fighting like other pure boxers like floyd or shakur makes fight too easy for him.

And pac wasn't even known for his boxing skills. He was known for his volume, speed, and pressure. Which is why everyone wanted to see pac vs mayweather since pure boxers have hard time vs pressure fighters. To me it seems that you are either a casual or Filipino.

[BoxWhere]

I have given him massive credit and stated he is a definite HOF fighter.

But no, I won't put him among the all time greats unless he achieves it. Maybe he will? I will say it is strange how we all have to say Inoue is in the greatest all time discussion when he hasn't earned it. Calm down. Sheesh.

You have to be a Filipino cause nothing else explains it.

[Elheath]

My lord pac was never a flyweight he was just a 15 year old improvised kid. The moment he started eating good he couldn't make weight and got KO'D twice and had to move up not 1 but 3 weight classes. While inoue moved up for new challenge not because he couldn't make weight.

And don't give that BS they were 150 in the ring because margarito was an unranked washed fighter that pac fought vacate title at catchweight. That's why in japan he is known as 6 divison champ and not 8.

And pac wasn't even known for his boxing skills. He was known for his volume, speed, and pressure. Which is why everyone wanted to see pac vs mayweather since pure boxers have hard time vs pressure fighters. To me it seems that you are either a casual or Filipino.

Just for clarifications, but the reason Pac is considered a six division champion instead of eight division is not because he fought at catchweight but because he never owned an alphabet org belt in two of them.

Pacquiao has:
112 WBA flyweight belt won against Sasakul (1st division)
122 IBF superbantam belt won against Ledwaba (2nd division)
126 Ring featherweight title won against Barrera, which is NOT considered a world title belt in Japan
130 WBC super feather belt won against Marquez (3rd division)
135 WBC lightweight belt won against Diaz (fourth division)
140 Ring light welter title won against Hatton, again not considered a world title belt
147 WBO welterweight belt won against Cotto (fifth division)
154 vacant WBC superwelter belt against Margarito (sixth division)

Simply a matter of dictionary definition, the Ring isn't considered a boxing world title in Japan. Hence Pacquiao is a world titlist at 112, 122, 130, 135, 147, 154 aka six divisions. Surprisingly he was never a unified champion in any division.

[Blond Beast]

He needs more name opponents, big fights. Needs to travel. I think he is a great fighter. He’s twisted steel and offensive. I just couldn’t even name a huge fight for him. Its hard at the lower weights. You don’t get as much people from around the world fighting down there.
I think maybe he might be better than he will ever have to show. He’s gonna have to fight a Tank. He’s shredded he can put on more weight. He has to fight big names. Take huge risks moving up if he wants a legacy like Manny. Not fair in some ways for sure.

[crisantonio917]

Good enough to beat the trash of today... If Zarate, Gomez and heaven forbid Sanchez put hands on him he would be chopped up like a steak in Benihana.. Barely beat an old Donaire first time around who disfigured his face and Nery dropped him and hard, nuff said.....

[Roadblock]

Inoue is stepping into the ring around 135 from what he said to Linares. He's also been the smaller man in every one of his fights at 122. It's a shame that nobody does fight night weights anymore.

Yes its a shame it should be a compulsory weight being the actual weight they fight at its the most important, if he is stepping in at 135 then going there is the same as Floyd and Manny at 147, people talk about divisions etc but the key is weighin weight and fightnight weight, those two numbers tell you everything.

[Oregonian]

Because he is fighting close to his natural weight?

Christ, Pac was fighting guys who were literally walking around at 170 and higher. Pac walked around at the weight he actually fought at. No rehydration nonsense.

Inoue will have to go up to 144 to do what Pac did. I mean will he? I don't really think so, but Pac was freakishly talented and his power carried as he gained muscle.

If Inoue keeps going up and stops a bunch of great fighters and matches Pac or exceeds him, I will je the first to applaud. But the reason Pac is considered so special is because he achieved all of that. It was a great time to be a fan.

But saying Inoue probably isn't going to do that, is not taking away from the fact that he is damn good with insane power at the lower weights. The lower weights are not superstar talents, that is why Inoue will have a hard time being in the all timer discussion. As the weight goes up the power rises and guys have a lot less room for error.

Inoue fanboys are special. Dude is a badass. But to them, say he has to achieve it in the ring first and it's saying he sucks.

And if Inoue ever gets to 147 and asks for a catchweight, NO one will belittle him, just like they didn't Pac. Pac is a tiny dude.

———
“The reason PAC is considered special…”?? The reason he was beating those guys is because they were all NOT fighting at optimal levels with the catchweight BS conditions.
If you can acknowledge that PAC was the smaller guy fighting bigger guys why can’t you acknowledge that he also weakened them and fought them at their weakest point?

It wasn’t just that - The 150 Ibs catchweight is what gave him a dubious title at 154 yet the fight was against a guy coming off a KO loss for a vacant 154 Ibs belt at 150 Ibs. Seriously, what exactly is great about that?
Inoue can do the same thing - he can come to 147 to fight Barrios at 145 and claim a welterweight belt. Would you consider that an ATG achievement.
He could have gone to 140 to fight Rolly Romero at a catchweight of 137 Ibs and claim a Jr WW title against a guy nobody. Again, would you consider that a great achievement?

That is literally what PAC did. The irony is I believe PAC would have most likely beaten all those guys at their best level but he did not.

Inoue can pick all the weakest belt holders at 126, 130, 135, 140 and 147 and beat them to become a 9 division champion, would you then say he’s greater than PAC?

[SSDnv]

ive never heard of any of his bum opponents! he will never be as great as tank davis or wilder!

Wilder great ? Btw which guy under LW isn't a bum?

[SSDnv]

Good enough to beat the trash of today... If Zarate, Gomez and heaven forbid Sanchez put hands on him he would be chopped up like a steak in Benihana.. Barely beat an old Donaire first time around who disfigured his face and Nery dropped him and hard, nuff said.....

Just want to say that Inoue won vs Donaire with a broken orbital bone ,something that makes all other boxers quit (Sanders ,Brook and other to be named). The rematch settled things correct. No other fighter in recent history had to go trought such adversity and win. Tzyu was in there if he was about to win. And the KD vs Nery was one of the fastest "face drops" I've ever seen.