Philippines, 19 Apr 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Japan's Boxing Mix and Match - Naoya Inoue: Right Number, Wrong Foes, Wrong Sequence


PhilBoxing.com




After successively feasting on a has-been, TJ Doheny, and a virtual non-entity, Ye Joon Kim, in the last nine months of 2024, Naoya Inoue has been expected to make up this year with at least two super fights befitting his status as undisputed world champion and among the pound-for-pound best.

Former unified titlist and current WBA interim super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev has also been expecting that he would be one, and the FIRST, to be named as Inoue's opponent, having been mandatory challenger since most of last year.

Inoue indeed announced that he will be fighting at least twice this year, but the first of those would be against top-rated Mexican contender Alan Picasso in his return to the US ring since 2021. There was no mention of who his next fight would be against, so MJ is once again left hanging. Picasso, however, recently withdrew from the projected bout, saying he is not ready.

In the aftermath of Picasso's withdrawal, the Inoue camp came out with another announcement: Naoya will be fighting number two-rated Mexican contender Ramon Cardenas in June in Las Vegas and then Akhmadaliev in September in Japan.

It is the right number of projected fights for Inoue this 2025—at least two fights.

But one of the opponents, as well as the sequence, are not right. Cardenas is said to be another undeserving challenger who has fought mostly in Mexico and fattened his record against domestic opposition.

Pundits are saying American paying fans are not predisposed to seeing another Michael Dasmarinas massacre. They are almost insisting that Inoue should first take on Akhmadaliev in the US, where fans are familiar with both fighters, and hence there is a high possibility that the fight would be viewed live by a huge audience and massively followed on other media platforms, including the internet.

This makes a lot of sense, given that a fight versus Gervonta "Tank" Davis is a "pie in the sky" thing. There's also no indication that Naoya is ready to challenge his former unified super bantamweight title victim, Stephen Fulton, for his newly won WBC featherweight belt.

If Inoue wins over Akhmadaliev, the "Monster" then could arrange back in Japan the biggest all-Japanese world title fight against WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani sometime between September and December, which boxing experts say would be a most fitting farewell bout for Naoya before he invades the featherweight division.

Ideally, what the pundits are saying and what many fans really want to see should draw gravitas in the decision-making in the Inoue camp, which includes his American co-promoter, Bob Arum.

But with their ward holding all the belts and Japanese promoters having ever growing stronger clout with the boxing sanctioning bodies, including who their champion fights, when, and where, they can always go on with this mix-and-match game to their advantage.

It does not help that they also have Bob Arum, who is an old hand in that game.

The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • SMITH VS. GERMAIN WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • WBO #2 WBA #2 Mikiah Kreps on Weight in Seneca Niagara
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • UFC® RETURNS TO PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY WITH BLOCKBUSER CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • AMATEUR HEAVYWEIGHT SENSATION LEO ATANG SIGNS PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH MATCHROOM BOXING
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • “KING” RYAN GARCIA SAN DIEGO MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • WEIGHTS FROM ORLANDO FLORIDA
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • Super Lightweight Israel Mercado Looks to Keep Momentum Going this Saturday in Long Beach
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • Middleweight Slugger Raul Salomon Returns to Action April 19 at Thunder Studios in Long Beach
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • BOXING INSIDER BRINGS DOMINGUEZ BACK TO SONY HALL MAY 9
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • IM Michael Concio rules Bangkok Blitz chess tilt
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • LIM, VICENTE TOP BANTON CHESS
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • SMITH VS. GERMAIN + UNDERCARD FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • There Are No Miracles— Just Nora Aunor
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • Heavyweight Contender Lenier Pero Set to Shine on April 18 at Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • New Champion, New Era: Lightweight King Keyshawn Davis Defends Throne Against Edwin De Los Santos in Homecoming June 7 at Norfolk’s Scope Arena LIVE on ESPN
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • Rising Canadian super lightweight prospect Eric Basran draws undefeated Isaiah Johnson for Friday's opening round of the inaugural Riyadh Season/WBC Boxing Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • FORMER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION KELLY “THE GHOST” PAVLIK TO ATTEND 2025 HALL OF FAME WEEKEND
    , Fri, 18 Apr 2025
  • Beltran faces Crenz in WBC Grand Prix
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 17 Apr 2025
  • Into to fight Jones in WBC Grand Prix
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 17 Apr 2025
  • USA Boxing International Concludes Day Two Competition
    , Thu, 17 Apr 2025
  • Little Pancho: A Filipino Fighter in the Ring, an American Soldier to the End
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Thu, 17 Apr 2025
  • Beltran ready to fight in WBC Grand Prix
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 17 Apr 2025
  • Arca stuns English GM, maintains share of top spot in Bangkok Chess Open
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 17 Apr 2025
  • Melvin’s target is Collazo
    By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 17 Apr 2025
  • Piala fights Choki in WBC Grand Prix
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 17 Apr 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.