By Daniele D’Alessio
NAOYA Inoue is expected to cut through TJ Doheny like a knife through butter on September 3 in Japan.
For many, the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, Inoue’s aura of invincibility seemed to grow with each fight. The ‘monster’ proved so dominant against every opponent that betting against the Japanese superstar was like throwing money down the toilet.
His status is reminiscent of Mike Tyson’s prime, when no one could beat Inoue and a devastating knockout in every fight was just a formality.
But unlike Tyson, Inoue was a much smaller man, and to continue building his legacy he was cursed with the need to continually move up in weight classes in search of better opponents. The world titles he won in four weight classes were symbolic of scalps being taken away, like an ancient warrior carrying the heads of his enemies.
When Inoue first decided to move up to super bantamweight, some in the boxing world had reservations. Here was a five-foot-five-inch man who had started his career as a lightweight, now choosing to fight fighters bigger than himself.
However, after just eight rounds, Stephen Fulton realised that size isn’t everything as Inoue defeated the American to become the unified super bantamweight world champion.
Inoue lands a right hand on Fulton (Naoki Fukuda)
Since then, the Kanagawa native has become the first fighter to hold the 122-pound weight class undisputed, defeating both Marlon Tapales and Luis Nery.
However, for the first time, Inoue was knocked down after taking a powerful left hook from Nery in the first round – a moment that humanized ‘The Beast’. However, Inoue’s response was ferocious. He got up and dropped Nery three times over the course of six rounds to win. It was almost as if Inoue felt ashamed and punished Nery for knocking him down.
Indeed, so far, Inoue’s excellence has not been diminished by gaining weight. Sometimes a fighter can be a great puncher in a certain weight class, but their power will diminish when faced with opponents who are bigger than them.
With 24 of his 27 wins coming by knockout, Inoue’s power has not only been maintained at super bantamweight, but arguably increased. Plus, when you have technique as perfect as Inoue, the opportunity to land clean, precise punches is there, regardless of weight class.
Bookmakers consider Inoue to be the favourite to win over Doheny. When James ‘Buster’ Douglas knocked out Tyson in 1990 to become the world heavyweight champion, the boxing world was in disbelief. Inoue was not the ‘baddest man on the planet’ as it was claimed. But Doheny’s victory seemed equally puzzling, despite the Irishman having won three in a row.
Ironically, when Tyson suffered the biggest shock of his career, it was in Japan. However, Inoue has boxed in his home country throughout his career, and the Japanese superstar appears to be more disciplined than Tyson outside the ring.
Regardless, if Inoue does what everyone expects him to do, there will be plenty of speculation about what comes next. There’s already talk of a fantasy fight with Gervonta Davis, and if ‘The Beast’ looks particularly spectacular, the clamour for such an unrealistic but exciting prospect could grow. Both are listed at the same height, but Davis currently competes at lightweight, three weight classes above Inoue.
Furthermore, before Inoue leaves the super bantamweight division, there are a few contenders who might be worthy of a shot at the phenomenon. One is Sam Goodman, Doheny’s former opponent. Goodman, 25, comprehensively defeated Doheny last year and is unbeaten in 19 fights. Whether Goodman poses a serious threat to Inoue is debatable, but on paper, the Australian is a credible contender.
Another potential opponent is Murodjon Akhmadaliev. The Uzbek lost to Tapales via split decision. However, Akhmadaliev is a strong left-handed fighter and is considered one of the best fighters in the 122lbs division.
Fighting room
Then there is Britain’s Liam Davies, who has gone from strength to strength in recent weeks, winning three in a row. The 28-year-old has also been very open about his desire to share the ring with Inoue. Inoue fought in Glasgow in 2019 against Emmanuel Rodriguez and a return to the UK, while unlikely, would be a great event.
At just 31, Inoue is in his prime and has time to think about how best to maximize his legacy. The knockout machine is already a future Hall of Famer. However, with the right fights, he could go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Becoming a five-division world champion would help with that goal, joining the likes of Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquaio.
Still, the jump from super bantamweight to featherweight is a significant one. In theory, there’s a four-pound difference, although you only have to look at Rey Vargas and Brandon Figueroa to see how much bigger some fighters are at 126 pounds. It’s possible that Inoue will take his time and let his body grow before deciding to make such a leap.
A lot could depend on Inoue’s tenure in the super bantamweight division. If the fights start getting tougher, 122lbs could be his limit. On the other hand, if he continues to beat opponents with ease, a shot at the featherweight world title could be in the not-too-distant future.
