Naoya Inoue: Ahead of what has been called the biggest event in the history of Japanese boxing, International Boxing Hall of Fame historian Joe Koizumi has rated Naoya Inoue as Japan’s greatest boxer.
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Naoya Inoue People Call “Monster”
He’s called the “Monster” but Naoya Inoue looks like he could be a kid’s comic book hero or in a boy band.
He has a cherubic face, a flash of light color in his dark hair, and can wreak all kinds of havoc with lightning fists that could seemingly bring down walls.
That is where the “Monster” comes in. Inoue is, for many, either the best or second-best fighter in the world, along with Terence Crawford, and he is 26-0. Twenty-three victims have been battered into defeat or knocked out. He is also, for even more, the most terrifying puncher in the sport. (Naoya Inoue)
Koizumi first started writing for The Ring in the 1960s, aged just 17, and he is a boxing encyclopaedia who was enshrined in Canastota in 2008.
Koizumi first held a license with the Japan Boxing Commission to work corners in 1965, and he helped several champions. He has also worked as a matchmaker and been involved in more than 150 world title fights, and after everything he has seen, he thinks Inoue is the best his country has produced. (Naoya Inoue)
Here are Joe Koizumi’s five best fighters from Japan.
- Jiro Watanabe – 26-2 (17 KOs)
This southpaw made his debut in 1979 and called it a day in 1986 having lost his WBC super flyweight title to Gilberto Roman. After 11 pro fights, Watanabe lost in his first effort for a world title (the WBC) to Chul Ho Kim over 15 rounds in Korea, dropping a narrow decision, but five fights later was crowned by the WBA after beating Panamanian Rafael Pedroza for the WBC. He added the WBA belt five fights later and the Roman loss was his first in five years.
Koizumi notes: “Very excellent southpaw counterpuncher who became actually a WBC/WBA unified champion by defeating Payao Poontarat twice.”
- Kuniaki Shibata – 47-6-3 (25 KOs)
Retired in 1977 following three consecutive wins, Shibata was a two-weight world champion who hit the road for some of his biggest fights. In December 1970, he travelled to Tijuana to beat the brilliant future Hall of Famer Vincente Saldivar to claim the WBC featherweight title, a belt he would lose to Clemente Sanchez little more than a year later.
But he moved up in weight to defeat Ben Villaflor for the WBA strap at super featherweight, only to be dropped and stopped in a rematch seven months later. Unperturbed, he defeated Mexican veteran Ricardo Arredondo over 15 rounds in Japan in his next outing to win the WBC belt at super feather.
Koizumi notes: “Who acquired the world belts abroad by defeating Vicente Saldivar and Ben Villaflor.”
- Yoko Gushiken – 23-1 (15 KOs)
Lost just once in his seven-year career, and that was in his final fight – to Pedro Flores, a man he had already defeated. Southpaw Gushiken was a long-reigning WBA light flyweight champion, holding the title for nearly five years and making 13 defenses.
He was a noted puncher and retired at the age of just 25.
- Fighting Harada – 55-7 (22 KOs)
For many, Masahiko Harada would top this list, or certainly would have done until recently, having won titles at flyweight and bantamweight.
At the age of just 19, he won his first world title from Pone Kingpetch in 1962 but lost a return three months later and he continued fighting greats throughout his career, twice beating Eder Jofre, outpointing Alan Rudkin, and avenging an earlier loss to Jose Medel to seize the bantamweight crown.
He lost his belt to Australian Lionel Rose, and bowed out after two losing attempts at Johnny Famechon’s featherweight title. (Naoya Inoue)
Harada’s achievements are all the more special because he won the titles in two weight classes when there were just 10 divisions and one champion in each.
- 1. Naoya Inoue – 26-0 (23 KOs)
The 31-year-old “Monster” is arguably the best fighter in the sport today and still racking up incredible achievements. He has unified all four belts in a second weight class, reigning as the super bantamweight champion heading into tonight’s fight at the Tokyo Dome against Mexico’s Luis Nery. Naoya Inoue has won titles at four different weights, and some think his success at 126 is inevitable. (Naoya Inoue)
What makes Naoya Inoue so good?
Nery, a heavy underdog, has described Inoue as “overrated, over-confident and ordinary” – but the champion’s accolades say otherwise.
Inoue has lived up to the moniker ‘kaibutsu’ – translated to ‘the monster’ – bestowed upon him by gym owner and former world champion Hideyuki Ohashi after just one fight.
He is a four-weight world champion and the only male fighter – after Terence Crawford – to become undisputed in two weight classes.
“Inoue does pretty much everything very, very well. He has crazy power but his technique is flawless and his balance is sublime. These are hall of fame attributes,” Jones says.
“But that power – he carries it throughout. He can knock you out in round one or knock you out in round 12. He can even take a good shot.”
Southpaw Nery is himself a two-division champion and has just one blemish on his record – a stoppage loss to Brandon Figueroa in 2021.
“It’s a good and fun fight” Jones says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes late but with the power in his right hand, I think Inoue will win inside the distance.”
Jones expects Inoue to move up to featherweight and has identified the winner of WBC champion Ray Ford or Nick Ball – who fight in Riyadh on 1 June – as a potential next opponent.
“When you move up in weight, your reputation precedes you and I fancy Inoue against either of them,” he says.
“From there on, an undisputed title in a third division would undoubtedly put him as an all-time great.”
Source: Boxing Scene
