The monster at work: how one of the greatest boxers defended his title
A boxing night was held in Tokyo on Friday, the main event of which was another fight between Naoi Inoue, one of the most amazing boxers of his time. The Japanese man, nicknamed the Monster, held his 23rd title match in a row, this time his opponent was the challenger from South Korea, Yen Chun Kim. How the fight turned out and what is unique about Inoue — in the Izvestia article.
Who is Naoya Inoue
He is 31 years old, he has been boxing professionally since 2012, and has been a world champion continuously since 2014. During these 10 years, he rose in weight three times and won belts in each of the categories: the first lightest, the second lightest, the lightest and the second lightest. Inoue is the second boxer in history to become the undisputed two—weight world champion. The first was Evander Holyfield (1990), the third in 2024 was Alexander Usyk.
In total, the Japanese had 28 professional fights, won each of them, 25 by knockout. And this is in the lightweights, where early wins are quite rare. The fight with Kim was the third defense of the title of the absolute world champion in the second lightest weight (up to 55.2 kg).
Naoya Inoue
Inoue beat all the contenders and champions in the light heavyweights without exception, but his two-match confrontation with the legendary Filipino Nonito Donaire, who also held world titles in four divisions and for many years was considered one of the best boxers regardless of weight class, stands out. Inoue passed it twice: first by unanimous decision, and then by knockout.
Another distinguishing feature of Naoi, besides his phenomenal boxing skills and speed, is his modesty. He comes from a prosperous family, has never been involved in scandals, has not insulted rivals or portrayed celebrities with criminal tendencies. That's largely why he spent most of his fights at home, in Japan, rather than in Vegas or London. But despite this, he is respected by all his colleagues and boxing fans all over the world. And he's number one in the Boxrec rankings, regardless of weight class, which says a lot about his level.
Who did Inoue box with
Initially, Naoya was supposed to box with Sam Goodman, the main contender for the Japanese titles, the Australian (19-0) withdrew from the fight twice due to cuts. And they decided to replace him with Korean Kim, who ranks 11th in the WBO rankings. He has 21 wins, two losses and two draws to his credit.
On paper, this fight seemed pretty easy for Inoue. Especially considering that Kim is not a knockout: 13 early wins out of 21. These are not numbers that would scare someone like Naoi Inoue. The chances of the Japanese winning were estimated at about 97%. But boxing is interesting, among other things, because when two opponents enter the ring, the pre—match layouts don't matter to anyone: one accidental counter punch and goodbye.
How was the fight
The first round, as it very often happens, was held at a warm-up pace. Inoue studied his opponent and tried to figure out what he could really do in the ring, where to expect danger from. I didn't see anything intimidating and in the second round I already went on the attack, I started to connect my right hand. In the middle of the second segment, Naoya pinned his opponent at the ropes for the first time, but for the first time he regretted it and let him get out. In the end, Inoue again made a dangerous attack and took the round with a clear advantage.
In the third round, the favorite's dominance became even more apparent, as he alternated blows to the head and body, forcing Kim to constantly back away. But, to the Korean's credit, he persevered and even responded well from time to time. Kim had some good counterattacks in the fourth round, but every time he landed sharp punches, he immediately ran into much sharper answers.
And half a minute before the end of the fourth three minutes, that's exactly what happened.: Kim went forward, ran into an oncoming right side, staggered, opened up, missed a dozen more punches and ended up in a heavy knockdown. The referee started the countdown, but did not finish it, registering a technical knockout. Kim did not argue, there was a grimace of pain on his face. Even if the referee had let him continue the fight, he probably wouldn't have lasted at least another half minute. Inoue scored another comfortable victory, the 29th in his career.
What's next for Inoue
After the fight, Naoya thanked his opponent and explained why he did not attack from the first rounds. The fact is that he didn't have time to study Kim in detail, as he came on as a substitute, so he studied him right in the ring. He also promised that his next fight would take place in Las Vegas, which was confirmed by his promoter Bob Arum. The name of the opponent was not disclosed to the public, but perhaps it will be a different weight category. Naoya himself allowed such a development of events.
Considering that Naoya has become the king in four weight classes, the only logical option for him if he wants to multiply his legacy is to rise higher. There are no rivals for him in the second light heavyweight division, but they are in the following divisions. Especially in the lightweight division, across two categories, which is 6 kg more. Gervonta Davis, Shakukr Stevenson, and Vasyl Lomachenko are there. That's where Naoya Inoue could become a real star!
Will he decide to make such a leap across two divisions? I don't think so right away. If Inoue is going to rise, it will most likely be gradually. This means that it will take him several years to reach the real monsters, just like himself. All the great boxers rose in weight classes without fear and won in every division. Inoue is already great, but if he wants to break into the club of the richest and most famous, he will need to make serious decisions.
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