Initial plans for Japanese boxing sensation Naoya Inoue`s 2025 calendar, aimed at solidifying his position as the pound-for-pound best, now seem likely to change.
This year, Inoue, who boasts a record of 30 wins with 27 knockouts and no losses, successfully defended his undisputed title twice. He secured a fourth-round stoppage victory against Ye Joon Kim in January, followed by a more challenging encounter last month with Ramon Cardenas. Following the Cardenas bout, a September fight against Murodjon Akhmadaliev was confirmed.
It was widely anticipated that after facing the Uzbek fighter, Inoue would move up in weight to featherweight (126 lbs) to challenge Nick Ball, holding a record of 22-0-1 with 13 KOs, for the WBA title in Saudi Arabia this December. The strategy then involved moving back down to super-bantamweight (122 lbs) early in the New Year for a highly anticipated clash with Junto Nakatani.
However, after surprisingly being knocked down by Cardenas while competing at 122 lbs, Yahoo Japan has reported that “ongoing discussions about scrapping that original plan” are taking place, driven by concerns over the potential difficulty of dropping weight again after moving up.
Now competing in his fourth weight division, Inoue would face a tight three-month timeframe to build his physique for a fight against the compact yet formidable Liverpudlian, Ball. This would then be followed by the need to lose another four pounds to meet Nakatani.
Instead, Inoue`s team is reportedly considering another defence of his four super-bantamweight championships in Saudi Arabia towards the end of the year, potentially against contenders like Sam Goodman (20-0, 8 KOs) or Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs). The fight against Nakatani could then be scheduled for Spring, with a permanent move up to featherweight occurring afterwards.
Commenting on the possibility of transitioning to 126 lbs, Inoue`s father, Shingo Inoue, stated via Yahoo Japan that while his son *could* potentially maintain his current build and outbox Ball to secure a points victory, this approach conflicts with the aggressive fighting philosophy of “The Monster.”
“I think that super-bantamweight is best for him,” Shingo explained. “He’s not tall. I think he thinks his power can only be used up to featherweight. I’ve been saying this for a long time but even if he goes higher, he can’t lose to anyone if he stays calm, hits and runs and fights for points.”
He added, “But, Naoya’s pride won’t allow for that kind of fight. Nobody wants to see Naoya with his body bloated and outboxing, right?
“Naoya’s philosophy won’t allow it in the first place, but in featherweight he will have to train at full capacity and challenge, [if he wishes to maintain his much-adored fighting style].”
