Naoya Inoue: record, next fight and profile →
Emanuel 'Vaquero' Navarrete has already made it clear that a fight against Japanese superstar Naoya 'Monster' Inoue would keep him at 122 pounds for the moment. Now the Mexican champion assures that the 'Monster' would not have a lot of possibilities in victory against him since “he is very clam, soft” inside the ring.
Japanese sensation are Naoya Inoue is interested in facing Emanuel Navarrete in the future - but he doubts the fight will ever come off. Both boxers are co-promoted by Top Rank. At the moment, Inoue is the WBA, IBF world champion at bantamweight. He was scheduled to face WBO champion John Reil Casimero in a unification that was scheduled for April, but the fight was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Naoya Inoue’s next fight likely will take place in September or October in Las Vegas. Bob Arum, Inoue’s co-promoter, informed BoxingScene that Inoue’s handlers in Japan expect to bring the unbeaten bantamweight star to the United States sometime in September. That would clear the way for Inoue to make his debut in Las Vegas, where the IBF/WBA 118-pound champion was supposed to battle WBO champ Johnriel Casimero in a title unification fight April 25 at Mandalay Bay Events Center.
WBA "regular" bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux is waiting to get a concrete date and location for his next ring appearance, for a card being presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Rigondeaux (20-1, 13 KOs) was in action back in February, when he won a twelve round split decision over Liborio Solis in Allentown.
Strength and conditioning coach Angel “Memo” Heredia wants reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero to have more explosive punches than he displayed in his big world title win over Zolani Tete last year.
Renowned Mexican coach Alfredo Caballero, who trains WBC super flyweight world champion Juan Francisco 'Gallo' Estrada, believes his boxer would get revenge over Roman "Chocolatito" González, who now holds the WBA's version of the title. Estrada lost a twelve round decision to Gonzalez when they collided at junior flyweight in 2012.
Nonito Donaire didn’t even know how much elite-level boxing he had left in him two years ago. Donaire, then 35, had just lost nine rounds to Carl Frampton on all three scorecards in a 12-round featherweight title fight in Belfast. That was his second one-sided defeat in three fights, seemingly a sure sign that his terrific career was winding down.
WBA super flyweight world champion Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez stressed that he is ready to face Juan Francisco 'Gallo' Estrada, the WBC champion, in a rematch. And Gonzalez said that he would not mind fighting behind closed doors if recommended by renowned promoter Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions. In addition, he said he was happy because despite the coronavirus pandemic, he is doing well in a cheese business that he recently launched.
Bob Arum expected a large contingent of Japanese fans to pack Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night to witness Naoya Inoue’s return to the United States. Like every other scheduled bout in boxing, Inoue’s bantamweight championship unification fight against the Philippines’ Johnriel Casimero was postponed indefinitely last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inoue-Casimero might be delayed longer than some other bouts because coronavirus-related travel restrictions could keep Inoue from leaving Japan for the United States for an extended period even after American cities reopen.
Super bantamweight champion Emanuel Navarrete has been boxing’s most busiest titlist of late, defending his WBO belt five times in a nine-month stretch, all via knockout. After claiming the 122-pound title from Isaac Dogboe in December 2018, Navarrete beat Dogboe again in a rematch in May, followed by win versus Francisco De Vaca in August, Juan Miguel Elorde in September, Francisco Horta in December and Jeo Santisima in February.