By Manny Delgado: It wasn’t too long ago that Naoya Inoue (29-0.26 KOs) was just an upcoming fighter before he was widely recognized as “The Monster. ” Despite his small flyweight frame of 108 pounds, he quickly, with very few fights, gained recognition on boxing forums for his devastating power.
Many fans on boxing forums would ask themselves, ‘How can such a small fighter have monstrous power like this!?’ It was a sight to behold, with thudding punches you could feel through the screen that made his opponents physically wince from the pain in the best-case scenario.
In the worst cases, they end up face-up on the canvas, feeling like they just got hit by a freight train. All this in a weight class that is not even recognized for the power of its fighters.
Discussion after discussion would run rampant on who this small Japanese fighter was. He hit everyone he faced with a baseball bat for fists as if they had debts to pay. Inoue was there to collect at all costs, but not without inflicting some severe pain first. They call a sport like boxing “the hurt business,” and Naoya Inoue was the embodiment of taking that to heart, so to speak.
Impeccable Technique
However, power wasn’t his only attribute. Considering the various comments made about him by different observers, you could say he’d been previously described as possessing almost every attribute possible for a boxer. From his blistering speed to his freak-of-nature accuracy and his impeccable technique, his monstrous power notwithstanding.
Boxing fans across multiple forums would wax poetry about this ‘superstar in the making’ already being celebrated by many as a ‘generational talent.’ You could say the writing was on the wall for Inoue’s future, taking home the WBC world title in the flyweight division as early as his 6th fight when he beat Adrian Hernandez.
Inoue vs Donaire
Before his fight with the living legend Nonito Donaire at bantamweight, Inoue was relatively unknown in the grand scheme of boxing. The lighter-weight classes don’t receive as much attention as the other divisions in the sport.
In typical fashion, when Inoue vs Donaire was announced, the comment sections on social media came out in droves with “Who? Never heard of this guy,” and more mockingly, “Who da fook is this guy!?” Longtime followers of his career came out in his defense, claiming Inoue had more than enough of the necessary attributes to beat a fading legend like Donaire, but there were still doubters.
What resulted was an incredible and exhilarating fight. It tested Inoue in a way he hadn’t been tested before. It was an absolute war of a fight, where Inoue’s orbital bone was broken in the second round. The fight was awarded Fight of the Year in 2019 by the Ring magazine.
He was, after all, up against a living legend in Donaire. Even if his best days as a fighter were already behind him, he gave Inoue his most competitive fight at the time. Inoue overcame the challenge and persevered to win by unanimous decision, but not without facing adversity and receiving some heavy blows himself.
History in the Making
The rest, you could say, is history. History is still in the making, as the small Japanese man known as “The Monster” continues his undisputed and undefeated reign due to his devastating power. Thus far, conquering a total of four weight classes as a world champion and undisputed in two. He recently defeated replacement opponent Yee Jong Kim in the fourth round to retain the undisputed super bantamweight title.
It was a relatively easy fight where the obscure Yee Jong Kim was battered and beaten by Inoue at will for four straight rounds before goading for the finishing blow that decided the victory.
An ‘Unconquerable’ Monster
Can “The Monster” ever be stopped despite this easy victory? Or will he continue to devour his opponents as he pleases? You could say no man is invincible—After all, Inoue has been dropped. And as my mother used to say, “There will always be someone better than you.” Be that as it may, whether at 122 pounds or at what many fans consider his upper limit at 126 pounds. Who will be the man to beat Inoue finally? And end his reign as “the monster” that has yet to be conquered.
Potential 2025 Fights
Conversations are already heating up about who Naoya Inoue will fight for the remainder of 2025. In a press conference, he announced that he intends to fight four times this year and in the US and Saudi Arabia.
There are already more than a few likely candidates, from undefeated Mexican fighter and WBC No. 1 Alan Picasso (32-0-1,17 KO’s) to his fellow Japanese countryman Junto Nakatani (29-0, 26 KO’s), who is the #1 ranked bantamweight in the world and also undefeated. Among other potential opponents are Murodjon Akhmadaliev (13-1,10 KO’s) and Nick Ball (21-0-1,12 KO’s). The year is bound to be full of great matchups for “The Monster.”
