Naoya Inoue Reflects on His Remarkable Run of Historic Fights
Naoya Inoue, the highly skilled Japanese boxer, has had a string of momentous fights that have solidified his place in boxing history. While his undeniable talent has been crucial to his success, Inoue also acknowledges the element of luck that has contributed to his remarkable run.
One such example of fortuitous timing is his upcoming bout against Marlon Tapales of the Philippines for the undisputed junior featherweight crown. Inoue shared, It was a bit coincidental that we were able to land these significant fights one after the other. After this fight and assuming we win, it might be a while before we have that much at stake.
This fight on Tuesday will mark Inoue’s eighth consecutive bout with multiple titles up for grabs. His sensational journey began in November 2019 when he defeated Nonito Donaire to unify the WBA and IBF bantamweight titles, also winning the World Boxing Super Series tournament. However, due to the global pandemic and mandatory title defenses, Inoue faced routine challenges over the next two years.
In June 2020, Inoue continued his march toward history by securing a repeat victory over Donaire, this time by a second-round knockout, to add the WBC strap to his collection. He then claimed the WBO title in December of the same year by defeating England’s Paul Butler in the eleventh round. This made him the first Asian boxer to hold undisputed champion status in over five decades, a feat unparalleled in the era of three- or four-belt championships.
Notably, Inoue’s monumental win over Butler took place at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, the same venue that witnessed his dominant eighth-round knockout of WBC/WBO 122-pound champion Stephen Fulton. The July 25 clash made Inoue Japan’s inaugural unified titleholder in two different weight divisions. If Inoue triumphs on Tuesday, he will become a two-division undisputed champion in just 54 weeks, the quickest in the multi-belt era.
Inoue’s journey towards full unification became a reality when Marlon Tapales dethroned the previously unbeaten WBA/IBF titlist, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, in April. Akhmadaliev’s infrequent appearances in the ring due to mandatory title defenses presented an opportunity for Tapales. Immediately after his win, Tapales called for a fight against Inoue and even flew to Tokyo to join him in the ring after Inoue’s victory over Fulton.
An agreement was reached earlier this fall, paving the way for Inoue to achieve an unprecedented milestone in his third consecutive fight. However, once Tuesday’s fight concludes, Inoue plans to remain in the junior featherweight division for at least another year, with the aim of being an undisputed champion and defending his titles.
While Inoue dreams of becoming a five-division champion in the future, he emphasized his focus on his immediate goal, saying, My plan is to still be in meaningful fights, but it will be defending the undisputed championship rather than fighting for it like we have next.
Through his supreme talent and extraordinary run of fights, Naoya Inoue has etched his name in the record books of Japanese boxing. As he faces another momentous challenge, the world eagerly watches the next chapter in his historic journey unfold.
