Comments Thread For: Naoya Inoue's next fight is set: Ramon Cardenas on May 4 in Las Vegas

[IceTrayDaGang]

• Growing Recognition Outside of Japan:
  • While he is not as well-known in some parts of the world as other boxers, his fame is growing.
  • His recent fights, particularly those in the United States, have helped to increase his global recognition.
  • He is currently planning to fight in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia in 2025, further expanding his international profile.

but fights in the US dont mean anything right....

[crimsonfalcon07]

why do yall keep saying this? yes, he;s fought in the US, like 4 years ago. all i am saying is that if he wants the exposure then he needs to fight more in the US!! im not saying he has to fight in the US only! US is still the main attraction, meaning fans from all over the world will tune in to watch a big fight in the US, where as if the fight was in japan.

i just didnt "learn: about him... i first heard of him in 2019. and since then his name is barely known outside the hardcore boxing fans. it's weird that his fans is so against him coming to the US more.

You need to travel, desperately. Go to Asia and ask if they know Inoue. Then ask if they know whichever US boxer you want to pick.

You continue to miss the point that he did exactly what you wanted. He fought in the US. He fought in Vegas twice in a row. And US fans didn't care. Boxing was far bigger in the US 4 years ago, and you think he's still unknown despite doing EXACTLY what you think he hasn't done. That ought to tell you that you're full of ****. US "fans" are a bunch of haters like ProudLunatic who are proud of not following the lower divisions but still think they get to talk about how there's nobody in the divisions that they don't watch. They won't care about Inoue no matter how many times he fights here simply because he's fighting below lightweight. Just take a look just in this thread about what US fans have to say about him.

Do you think your favorite fighter should take a massive pay cut and go fight in, say, Grenada? Because that's the effective equivalent. US fight fans had their chance already, and you yourself are evidence that fighting in the US doesn't do anything for Inoue. Boxing is dying in the US. Showtime and ESPN are both getting out of boxing entirely. There are going to be zero US broadcast partners left by the end of the year, and you think the US is the center of boxing? You have got to be in the running for the most delusional poster on the forum.

[IceTrayDaGang]

You need to travel, desperately. Go to Asia and ask if they know Inoue. Then ask if they know whichever US boxer you want to pick.

You continue to miss the point that he did exactly what you wanted. He fought in the US. He fought in Vegas twice in a row. And US fans didn't care. Boxing was far bigger in the US 4 years ago, and you think he's still unknown despite doing EXACTLY what you think he hasn't done. That ought to tell you that you're full of ****. US "fans" are a bunch of haters like ProudLunatic who are proud of not following the lower divisions but still think they get to talk about how there's nobody in the divisions that they don't watch. They won't care about Inoue no matter how many times he fights here simply because he's fighting below lightweight. Just take a look just in this thread about what US fans have to say about him.

Do you think your favorite fighter should take a massive pay cut and go fight in, say, Grenada? Because that's the effective equivalent. US fight fans had their chance already, and you yourself are evidence that fighting in the US doesn't do anything for Inoue. Boxing is dying in the US. Showtime and ESPN are both getting out of boxing entirely. There are going to be zero US broadcast partners left by the end of the year, and you think the US is the center of boxing? You have got to be in the running for the most delusional poster on the forum.

LOL.. so you just proved my point. he's only known in asia.

I asked that if he wants more exposure then he needs to fight more often in the US... his last fight in the US was 4 years ago, so now sure how "he did exactly what you wanted"...

why are you so against him coming to the US more often? im not saying he has to fight only in the US, you keep making up this narrative that i am demanding inoue to only fight in the US.

i dont care if he does or not, i am only saying that IF he wants to be known more around the world, then fights in the US more often will help him get there... if he doesnt care about being recognize around the world, then that's fine too, I DONT CARE!!! the whole point here is "IF" he wants to be more well known globally.

[crimsonfalcon07]

LOL.. so you just proved my point. he's only known in asia.

I asked that if he wants more exposure then he needs to fight more often in the US... his last fight in the US was 4 years ago, so now sure how "he did exactly what you wanted"...

why are you so against him coming to the US more often? im not saying he has to fight only in the US, you keep making up this narrative that i am demanding inoue to only fight in the US.

i dont care if he does or not, i am only saying that IF he wants to be known more around the world, then fights in the US more often will help him get there... if he doesnt care about being recognize around the world, then that's fine too, I DONT CARE!!! the whole point here is "IF" he wants to be more well known globally.

Where have I said that you are saying he needs to only fight in the US? Quote me on that, please. He's already well known around the world. Just not in places full of bigots who are proud that they don't follow close to half of all active boxers, like the US.

More importantly, he's a bigger star in Japan and makes more money in Japan than any US boxer makes in the US.

I'll break this down for you.

1. Boxing isn't big in the US. By the end of the year, the US broadcasters will be completely out of the boxing business, because there's no market anymore.

2. Boxing was bigger in the US between 2017-2021 than it is now. If you can't figure that out, you have no business talking boxing at all.

3. Inoue fought in the US during the aforementioned timeframe, and it didn't do much at all to expand his recognition. You wanted him to fight at MGM? He did that. He fought back to back in Vegas, and you said yourself he's still not gotten recognition in the US. He had to build his rep in Japan in order for Top Rank to feel like it might be worthwhile bringing him back at all. We'll see if the US is ready to acknowledge him yet. He had to go double undisputed before they even wanted to try.

4. US fans don't care about the lower weight divisions. There's tons of them even here on these forums. The ones that do, already know about Inoue, because they actually follow the sport.

You haven't answered a single one of the questions I've suggested to you. Not one. You just repeat your nonsense that's already been thoroughly disproven. You'll see what will happen. He'll fight in the US in May, US fans won't watch or care, and he'll be back to fighting where he and his opponents make money. I guarantee that after he crushes Cardenas, US fans will be on here saying that Cardenas is just a bum (despite being the #5 in the division) and that there's nobody in the lower divisions. If Cardenas somehow wins, then Inoue will just be an overhyped bum who got exposed.

I live in San Antonio currently. Boxing fans here don't even know Cardenas. They barely know Bam Rodriguez more than Mario Barrios, even though he's far more accomplished, simply because he's in a lighter weight division. I still see people wearing Bam shirts at HEB, but I suspect he's more well known in Japan than he is in his hometown, because Japan follows the lighter divisions and the US doesn't.

[IceTrayDaGang]

Where have I said that you are saying he needs to only fight in the US? Quote me on that, please. He's already well known around the world. Just not in places full of bigots who are proud that they don't follow close to half of all active boxers, like the US.

More importantly, he's a bigger star in Japan and makes more money in Japan than any US boxer makes in the US.

I'll break this down for you.

1. Boxing isn't big in the US. By the end of the year, the US broadcasters will be completely out of the boxing business, because there's no market anymore.

2. Boxing was bigger in the US between 2017-2021 than it is now. If you can't figure that out, you have no business talking boxing at all.

3. Inoue fought in the US during the aforementioned timeframe, and it didn't do much at all to expand his recognition. You wanted him to fight at MGM? He did that. He fought back to back in Vegas, and you said yourself he's still not gotten recognition in the US. He had to build his rep in Japan in order for Top Rank to feel like it might be worthwhile bringing him back at all. We'll see if the US is ready to acknowledge him yet. He had to go double undisputed before they even wanted to try.

4. US fans don't care about the lower weight divisions. There's tons of them even here on these forums. The ones that do, already know about Inoue, because they actually follow the sport.

You haven't answered a single one of the questions I've suggested to you. Not one. You just repeat your nonsense that's already been thoroughly disproven. You'll see what will happen. He'll fight in the US in May, US fans won't watch or care, and he'll be back to fighting where he and his opponents make money. I guarantee that after he crushes Cardenas, US fans will be on here saying that Cardenas is just a bum (despite being the #5 in the division) and that there's nobody in the lower divisions. If Cardenas somehow wins, then Inoue will just be an overhyped bum who got exposed.

I live in San Antonio currently. Boxing fans here don't even know Cardenas. They barely know Bam Rodriguez more than Mario Barrios, even though he's far more accomplished, simply because he's in a lighter weight division. I still see people wearing Bam shirts at HEB, but I suspect he's more well known in Japan than he is in his hometown, because Japan follows the lighter divisions and the US doesn't.

you keep saying he doesnt need to fight in the US. and by me saying IF he wants to be more well known globally then he needs to fight more in the US, im not saying he'll gain more american fans by doing this!! so not sure why you are saying american fans dont care about the lower weight?

I am saying that fights in the US is still the main attraction, so if Inoue fights more often in the US, fans from other countries will tune in, so in return, Inoue will be more well know as compared to him fighting mostly in Japan.. lots of other boxing fans from around the world will not tune in for a fight in Japan.

[crimsonfalcon07]

you keep saying he doesnt need to fight in the US. and by me saying IF he wants to be more well known globally then he needs to fight more in the US, im not saying he'll gain more american fans by doing this!! so not sure why you are saying american fans dont care about the lower weight?

I am saying that fights in the US is still the main attraction, so if Inoue fights more often in the US, fans from other countries will tune in, so in return, Inoue will be more well know as compared to him fighting mostly in Japan.. lots of other boxing fans from around the world will not tune in for a fight in Japan.

What do you base this opinion on?

Let's look at the actual facts. Inoue was getting over 5 million eyes on his fights, even against lesser known guys like Juan Carlos Payano back in 2018, and he's only gotten more popular. His fight in Japan vs Nery got 45 million views, which was the single highest viewership for any individual event day in 2024, across ALL events. These are the FACTS. The Nery fight generated more impressions (56 million) than even mega crossover events like Jake Paul v Tommy Fury or Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou. When you look at the actual numbers, he absolutely trounces ANY boxer from the US. Canelo is the only boxer, including draws like Tyson Fury and Jake Paul, who still regularly eclipses his worldwide viewership numbers. His lowest viewership numbers in the last decade came from one of his fights that took place in Vegas and was primarily broadcast in the US. Only 818K watched his last fight in the US. His next fight in Japan vs one of his weakest opponents drew over 4 million views just in Japan.

That's what the facts show when you actually research the real numbers.

I don't mind him fighting in the US, because it's more convenient for me. But it doesn't do anything for him, because boxing in the US is dying, and nobody cares about US boxing events, because US fans are morons. And I say that as an American citizen serving the US on active duty in the military, and currently stationed in the US. Heck, my next duty station is going to be Vegas, so if he does fight more in Vegas it's great for me. But it won't do anything for Inoue.

[IceTrayDaGang]

What do you base this opinion on?

Let's look at the actual facts. Inoue was getting over 5 million eyes on his fights, even against lesser known guys like Juan Carlos Payano back in 2018, and he's only gotten more popular. His fight in Japan vs Nery got 45 million views, which was the single highest viewership for any individual event day in 2024, across ALL events. These are the FACTS. The Nery fight generated more impressions (56 million) than even mega crossover events like Jake Paul v Tommy Fury or Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou. When you look at the actual numbers, he absolutely trounces ANY boxer from the US. Canelo is the only boxer, including draws like Tyson Fury and Jake Paul, who still regularly eclipses his worldwide viewership numbers. His lowest viewership numbers in the last decade came from one of his fights that took place in Vegas and was primarily broadcast in the US. Only 818K watched his last fight in the US. His next fight in Japan vs one of his weakest opponents drew over 4 million views just in Japan.

That's what the facts show when you actually research the real numbers.

I don't mind him fighting in the US, because it's more convenient for me. But it doesn't do anything for him, because boxing in the US is dying, and nobody cares about US boxing events, because US fans are morons. And I say that as an American citizen serving the US on active duty in the military, and currently stationed in the US. Heck, my next duty station is going to be Vegas, so if he does fight more in Vegas it's great for me. But it won't do anything for Inoue.

from boxing forums, instagram comments, youtube comments from the FANS!!! when Inoue fights in Japan, you will see lots of comments along the line of "i didnt even know he was fighting today"... "damm 2am on a tuesday" ...

the bolded in red... that's a lie... that's what his fans bring up to justify him not coming to the US as often... once again, him fighting in the US, i am not saying he will gain all the american fans but fighting in the US will make other fans from around the world tune in. I already said this in my previous comments.

how is boxing dying in the US when US is still the place that produces the most boxers and top boxers at that! i just dont get why his fans are so mad when others bring up that they would like to see Inoue fight more in the US?... i mean you being from the US, wouldnt you want this too so that you can get a chance to see him fight live??? shiiets weird...

i understand that he makes less fighting here but making less for 1 fight could gain him more in return in the future by getting the exposure!!! and i never said he has to fight in the US only. so why are you so against him coming to the US more often? are ppv not international? are japanese people not allow to purchase ppv if Inoue fights in the US?? not sure how he could be losing lots of money.

[crimsonfalcon07]

from boxing forums, instagram comments, youtube comments from the FANS!!! when Inoue fights in Japan, you will see lots of comments along the line of "i didnt even know he was fighting today"... "damm 2am on a tuesday" ...

the bolded in red... that's a lie... that's what his fans bring up to justify him not coming to the US as often... once again, him fighting in the US, i am not saying he will gain all the american fans but fighting in the US will make other fans from around the world tune in. I already said this in my previous comments.

how is boxing dying in the US when US is still the place that produces the most boxers and top boxers at that! i just dont get why his fans are so mad when others bring up that they would like to see Inoue fight more in the US?... i mean you being from the US, wouldnt you want this too so that you can get a chance to see him fight live??? shiiets weird...

i understand that he makes less fighting here but making less for 1 fight could gain him more in return in the future by getting the exposure!!! and i never said he has to fight in the US only. so why are you so against him coming to the US more often? are ppv not international? are japanese people not allow to purchase ppv if Inoue fights in the US?? not sure how he could be losing lots of money.

Just read the numbers, guy.

I've given you actual hard numbers to look at.

He's literally already fought here and it didn't get him more exposure. It got him over 3 million fewer eyes on.

What are you basing your (wrong) opinions on here?

Or are you just really that dumb? I said it's good for me personally if he fights in the US in that post, which you clearly didn't read or understand. But the FACTS do not support your false assertion that it would benefit Inoue. He draws HUGE numbers already. He DOESN'T draw even a fraction of that in the US. Top Rank won't even put the upcoming fight on PPV. So your dumb@$$ thinks it's better for the majority of his fanbase to have to buy a PPV on a Sunday morning, rather than watch him on prime time?

He flat doesn't have a US fanbase to compete with his current base, which already watches him when he fights. The only people who would benefit are the handful of people in the US who watch him, and most of us wake up early in the morning to watch him already anyways. The rest of the US fanbase doesn't like watching the lower divisions, and is proud of it, and anyone left has abandoned boxing for the UFC.

You're talking about the occasional comment from casuals here and there, when the US broadcasters are OUT of the boxing business. Do you honestly think that some comment from some random IceTray fella is in anyway comparable with the fact that Showtime and ESPN are out of the boxing business entirely, and there's NO US broadcasters that will be carrying boxing by end of the year? WTF, man.

[crimsonfalcon07]

from boxing forums, instagram comments, youtube comments from the FANS!!! when Inoue fights in Japan, you will see lots of comments along the line of "i didnt even know he was fighting today"... "damm 2am on a tuesday" ...

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHHfCcnM8BN/

Here's the Top Rank promo. Reactions are only in the 16K range, the comments are either his actual fans mocking people like you who think he doesn't ever fight out of Japan, or people saying, and I quote: "again Inoue is fighting a nobody" "who is Cardenas tho" "need more Mexicans on the undercard to fill up" "Inoue v rappi driver".

[crimsonfalcon07]

i understand that he makes less fighting here but making less for 1 fight could gain him more in return in the future by getting the exposure!!!

Except he has done exactly that three times, and it didn't increase his exposure. The numbers prove it diminished it. So you don't understand "shiiet", to use your spelling.

are ppv not international? are japanese people not allow to purchase ppv if Inoue fights in the US?? not sure how he could be losing lots of money.

Depends on the deal. There needs to be a co-promotional deal to allow another broadcaster, and Top Rank/ESPN didn't play that way the last times. End result, nearly 3 million fewer eyes on. Top Rank is required contractually to run it where ESPN tells them to, which will be ESPN+. So it's quite possible that his usual fanbase would be required to get and pay for a US app that they don't use, and may not be allowed to install in their country, in order to watch the fight. Wouldn't be the first time that happened to Inoue because he fought in the US. You never heard of region locks for content?