Unyielding super bantamweight champ demands opponents travel for a chance at glory, risking reputation in the US
Unyielding super bantamweight champ demands opponents travel for a chance at glory, risking reputation in the US
Naoya Inoue, a highly regarded pound-for-pound fighter, rejected the notion that he should fight instead of remaining in Japan and stated that anyone who like to fight him should travel there in a defiant social media post.
Monster Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs), the unchallenged super bantamweight champion, demands that fighters travel to Japan in order to compete against him. This implacable, unyielding position demonstrates Inoue’s rigidity and unwillingness to reconsider his decision to travel to the United States in order to become a household name.
It is imperative that Inoue understands that upon arriving in the United States, he will be required to defend himself against opponents, drawing criticism and ultimately losing. At home in Japan, where his supporters had witnessed him beaten repeatedly in the United States, that wouldn’t assist Inoue.
Inoue, 31, is oblivious to the fact that unless he competes in the US against opponents far more skilled than the ones he has faced throughout his 12-year professional career, he will not rise to fame there.
“In response to the comment saying he should come to America and [fight]. The home of the lightweight division [super bantamweight] is now here in Japan. If you want to see the game, come to Japan,” said Naoya Inoue on a post on X.
“If there is something better than what is available in the Japanese market in America, I would be happy to go. That’s all worth it here in Japan,” he added.
If Inoue fights in the United States and confronts elite competition, his propensity of taking on anonymous opponents with questionable skill will not help him become a household name. However, he hasn’t been doing that, thus he hasn’t gained any recognition in the US.
On May 6th in the Tokyo Dome in Japan, Inoue will defend his four 122-pound belts against the recently knocked-out Luis Nery (35-1, 27 KOs).
Fans in the US aren’t thrilled about this fight because Nery has only faced inferior competition since being knocked out by Brandon Figueroa a few years ago. Supporters view Inoue’s selection of Luis Nery as his opponent as just another instance of him picking a weak opponent and neglecting the formidable opponents in the 126, 130, and 135 lb weight classes that would present a challenge to him.
