Naoya Inoue is gearing up for “the biggest battle in Japanese history” in 2025.
Inoue is one of the most admired stars in world boxing. He has already become the undisputed world champion in two weight categories.
Having unified all four major world titles at bantamweight, over the course of 2023 and 2024 he managed to collect all the belts at super bantamweight.
Last year, he beat both Luis Nery and TJ Doheny, stopping both men and continuing a knockout run that has stretched since beating Nonito Donaire for the first time in 2019.
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Highlights of the undisputed world super heavyweight championship bout between Inoue and TJ Doheny
His next defence, against Australian Sam Goodman, was postponed when the challenger, also unbeaten, suffered a cut over his eye while sparring.
Inoue will now face Goodman on January 24 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, live Sky Sports.
If Inoue is victorious, American promoters Top Rank intend to bring him back to America to fight another unbeaten fighter, Alain David Picasso, likely in April.
“December 24th [fight against Goodman] “It will now be held on January 24, so it’s done, written in stone,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum said. Sky Sports.
“And after that fight we expect to bring Inoue to the United States to fight in Las Vegas against this Mexican fighter named Picasso. Who we will have a lot of fun with. He’s a good fighter, Picasso.”
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Junto Nakatani landed big left hands to retain the WBC bantamweight title and set up a potential showdown with pound-for-pound king Inoue
Junto Nakatani, the flamboyant Japanese WBC bantamweight champion, is emerging as a threat to Inoue. He will defend his next title on February 24 against Mexican David Cuellar.
Arum wants to bring Nakatani to America to play on the same card as Inoue, with the aim of pitting them against each other later in the year.
“Then we’ll also have on that card the bantamweight champion, Nakatani. He’s a tremendous fighter and if Inoue and Nakatani win their fight, which will probably be in April, they’ll fight for the 122-pound title in Japan at the Tokyo Dome, which will be the biggest fight,” the promoter said. In the history of Japan.
Watch Naoya Inoue defend his undisputed super bantamweight title against Sam Goodman on January 24 live Sky Sports
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