Naoya Inoue: record, next fight and profile →
Mr. Ohashi, the president of the Ohashi Gym and promoter of Naoya Inoue, recently informed me that he had been contacted by the World Boxing Super Series. Their interest was to specifically include Inoue in a bantamweight tournament later this year.
Undefeated, top-ten pound for pound ranked fighter, Naoya Inoue will soon be moving up to bantamweight. I reported last month that a domestic affair with WBA “regular” champion Jamie McDonnell of England was in the works (and later confirmed) for May 25th, in what may be the toughest test to date for Inoue. The way he approaches the new weight class hasn’t changed his overall preparation, according to his regular sparring partner Genesis Servania.
Doncaster’s Jamie McDonnell (29-2-1, 13 KOs) has admitted that he was contemplating a move to Super bantamweight prior to finding out that he has been handed a chance to take a big scalp when he travels to Tokoyo to meet former WBC light-flyweight and WBO flyweight holder Naoya Inoue (15-0, 13 early) on May 25.
YET another high profile boxer has sidestepped fiery WBO bantamweight champion Zolani Tete. This time it is Japanese star Naoya Inoue who has decided to seek a title in another direction rather than challenge Tete even though he had intimated that he will do so beforehand.
Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue held a press conference on Tuesday where he announced that he will seek a title in his third divisional title when he challenges WBA bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell on a date in May. In his 16th professional bout, Inoue, a former WBC light flyweight champion and WBO super flyweight champion, will face McDonnell in the Briton's seventh defense of his WBA crown on May 25 in Tokyo.
It was reported by Sky Sports this morning that the WBA ‘world’ champion at bantamweight, Jamie McDonnell (29-2-1 13 KO) of England is close to finalizing a deal with Japan’s Naoya Inoue (15-0 13 KOs). Eddie Hearn, the Englishman’s promoter, was quoted as saying: “I’m hoping we can close [the deal] this week.”
Promoter Frank Warren has revealed that he is open to making a fight between Zolani Tete and Naoya Inoue, stating he would "sign up for it in a heartbeat". At the weekend, two-weight World Champion Inoue battered Yoann Boyeaux in three rounds to retain his WBO world super flyweight Title in Japan. Now he plans to move up to bantamweight, where Tete holds the WBO crown. The WBO would likely make Inoue the mandatory challenger, because he was the world champion at the lighter weight.
Naoya Inoue's 36 landed jabs per round ranks #1 among active fighters. Inoue doesn't just throw his jab - he lands it - 9 per round, second only to Gennady Golovkin. Both more than doubled the CompuBox average. Only pound-for-pound contenders Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford have better plus/minus ratings than Inoue.
This past weekend in Yokohama, Japan, Naoya Inoue defended his WBO 115-pound title by blowing out Yoann Boyeau in three quick rounds. There was talk of Inoue appearing on the February 24th edition of 'the SuperFly2' card at the Forum, where HBO will once again feature the super flyweight division as they did back in September at the StubHub Center.
The stars are aligning for Hong Kong’s unbeaten super flyweight, Rex Tso Sing-yu, to finally step up and fight for a world title in 2018. The city’s most successful and famous pugilist has been eyeing a world title shot for years and he might finally get his shot with news that WBO super flyweight champion Naoya Inoue is expected to vacate his title as he moves up to bantamweight.