By Joe Koizumi
Photo: Boxing Beat
It is customary in Japan that the winner of the world title bout on the previous night participates in a press conference on the next day. The newly crowned WBC, WBO world 122-pound champion Naoya Inoue responded to questions by our media people today (Wednesday) in Yokohama. Naoya, quite uninjured and unbruised, cooly revealed his future plan.
“I wish to unify all the four world belts within this year (against Marlon Tapales). It may take three years to have myself physically adjust to the super bantam category and then may move up to the featherweight division. After taking a rest for a week, I wish to return to gym work.”
His manager and promoter Hideyuki Ohashi, former WBC and WBA world minimum champ, explained his blue print. “If possible, Naoya will exchange gloves with Tapales for unification this year. Then, next year, he may face John Riel Casimero or Luis Nery. Robeisy Ramirez might be Naoya’s future target should he move up to the featherweight division in the future.”
There were some ten television cameras and one hundred media people surrounding the four-division champ at the Ohashi Gym. Outside the gym fight fans were waiting for Naoya to appear to ask for his autograph. Inoue has really become a national hero along with Shoei Ohtani, the sensational baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB).
He will be undisputed at 122
And he will go up to 126 unless his body won’t respond like he would like it to with more weight, but I doubt that. I can see him carrying extra weight effectively up to
135, big fights await at 126
Figueroa, Rey Vargas and Robeisy are very intriguing matches
Good idea. Spend most of the rest of his prime years at 122 then make a run at 126. They do have good fighters at 122 who can keep him busy after Tapales, like the two mentioned in Casimero and Nery, then you have MJ, Goodman and maybe even Tomoki Kameda in Japan would be a big fight.
Almost impossible to see any of them REALLY troubling him at this point, however
There is a fight that give us a clear idea of how Inoue vs Tapales will be, and is the one where Tapales lost by KO to Ryosuke Iwasa. I don’t see other possible outcome if Inoue vs Tapales fight take place
Tapales is a really good fighter. I think the Iwasa fight was his only loss in the last decade or so and I think MJ kind of overlooked him. Inoue most surely will not make that same mistake.
Agree and to those who are expecting Inoue to move up in weight like Pacquiao did, don’t forget Inoue is smaller 163cm against 166 cm for Pacquiao and that all the divisions between flyweight and junior middleweight are full of killers today ! That wasn’t the case in the Pacquiao era).
Don’t forget Pacquiao got some titles against weak opposition :
– WBC flyweight title against Chatchai Sasakul !
– IBF junior featherweight title against an old Ledwaba
– WBC lightweight title against a limited warrior named David Diaz
126 is probably the limit for Inoue..
I don’t think he has body frame for 126 lbs
And he will sweep 122
I don’t see nobody competent for him
Carlos, Inoue and Pacquiao are almost the same height and Pacquiao went from flyweight to superbantamweigh to ended up as a welterweight, so, nothing to be amazed if Inoue ends his boxing career as a featherweight
Damn, Inoue truly going for GOAT status by not only unifying at 122 but taking on danger men in Nery and Casimero (two fights people were calling for at 118) instead of just going up and fighting the already beaten and an experienced as a pro Ramirez at 126. He can deal with featherweight in a few years after he has completely cleaned out super bantamweight, which still has dangerous fighters in it aside from the title holders. This Japanese fighter truly is the only all time great fighter in the sport of boxing right now. Robinson, Armstrong, Greb, Ali, Louis and yes Inoue, before his career is over.
I wish that Inoue will fight more on the USA more regularly. I think,, he only fought once. People in the US will get to know him, perhaps, he can earn more Benjamin’s.
Naoya will conquer the 122 lbs division,
Naoya is no Pacquiao to go as high as 147 lbs.
He fought 3 times in the US.
Yup, You are correct.
I was relying on my faulty memory.
Thanks
Naoya Inoue is 1,63 m while Pacquiao is 1,66 m and that’s definitely a reason why he’s not going to fight in the welterweight division.. (I know Pacman fought 1 or 2 times even at super welterweight)..
And today from bantamweight to welterweight there are only killers on top of the rankings not at the time Pacquiao fought..)
2 fights and then undisputed champion, why can’t this happen in other divisions where we wait around for years until the champs actually fight each other
Too many organizations and divisions?
yep, I cringe when I hear IBO world champion. GTFO
Monster is about to do some serious damage at 122 and has not even reached his prime!
If he’s comfortablyaking weight, why go up any further? In Japan, he’s king and is making more than we can imagine. If he’s still around the sport at 33-34, which is doubtful, he can move up because his body will mature even further. Enjoy the division champ.
I wonder if there is a two different weights unified champion? My faulty memory doesn’t recall any.
If not, the monster can be a first at 118 and 122 lbs
Tapales in 2!
Roy my friend WTF ?!
Inoue in 2 !!!
Realistic goals Inoue has set for himself I think . He has clearly carried the power up to Super Bantamweight but the extra weight definitely showed. A bit slower a-foot etc. Crazy natural power though. I hope Inoue does not end up in a similar position of Ricardo Lopez. An all time great fighter, largely unknown because of the weight / s he fought at
Tapales, Nery even the ex-unified champ Murodjon the top 3 fighters in the division will be good fights but not even competitive. All 3 of them have major faults in their styles, (Tapales and Nery get hit way too easily) Murodjon is the best technically of them 3. They are all 3 warriors and will give their best effort but won’t be enough, I think ultimately Inoue will defeat them. These are the only logical 3 fights to make at this division.
To me, 122-126 hasn’t had a knockout artist like this since Naseem hamed. Hamed vs Monster would be some fantasy match-up. I’ve hard of Monster but I definitely hear/see him now. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Hahahahahaha Naseem who??? Hahahaha
Fighting Harada would be proud of you Nayoa!!!
Harada is still alive today at 80. In fact, when Nayoa defeated Donaire in the first fight, It was Harada that prsented him that Batam Weight tournament trophy.
Go up a couple of divisions and fight Tank Davis. What a fight!!!
The only logical opponent for Naoya Inue is the ultimate challenge against 140 lbs world champion Rolando Rolly Romero. A fight for Inue against The Real World’s Champion Rolando Rolly Romero with his buddy referee buddy Tony Weeks in his corner teaming up together once again! If Inue can somehow knock out Rolly before Weeks steps in and stops the fight as soon as Rolly lands his first light jab and gives the TKO victory to Rolly then Inoue should forever be ranked the best pound for pound boxer in the world for the rest of his career and should be enshrined the Hall Of Fame. If Inue can go all the way up in weight and beat Rolando Rolly Romero for his belt along with Tony Weeks trying to help him then surely Naoya Inue is the greatest pound for pound boxer of our lifetime. There would be nothing else to prove. I am calling it now! The Rolly Is Back by Popular Demand PPV Inue vs Romero live on PPV for 79.99 plus taxes, surcharges and services fees being paid as a royalty for the Champ Rolly’s return. I bet Al Haymon is already working overtime on this fight folks for the real world champion Rolly Romero vs Naoya Inue! We can’t have it in Japan! Only in America folks! Only in America! And only in Las Vegas with referee Tony Weeks in Rolly Romero’s corner against The Monster Inue! Fans call your local pay per view providers and demand to see it today! I am counting on the millions of readers of Fightnews.com to demand to see this once in a lifetime match up of legends today from their pay per view providers worldwide for only $79.99 U.S. price! Don’t be left out of this once in a lifetime event! Demand to see it today!
It is admirable that he wants to unify the titles. And with Marlon being at ringside, it looks like it will happen. However the big fight I think for Inoue would be against Nery. Why? Nery I think is very controversial in Japan for his two title fights against I believe Yakama. Both ended in early knockouts, but there was suposably a banned substance in the first, and in the second, he did not make weight.
He’s going to be undisputed at 122 and move up in my opinion.. Greatest fighter out of Japan ever !