“Inoue deserves number 1” – Fans erupt as Terence Crawford takes P4P best spot over Naoya Inoue
Naoya Inoue stands second on the Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound best list.
Terence Crawford supersedes Naoya Inoue as the #1 pound-for-pound (Source: Twitter/IMAGO)
Currently, Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers there is. The 26-3 Orthodox out of Japan has held 4 different weight-class golds and held tenure as the undisputed bantamweight. Moving up, Inoue defeated Stephen Fulton by eighth-round TKO to win the WBC and WBO junior featherweight titles. He bagged an undisputed ‘two-weight four-belt’ glory with his recent victory. But he lost the P4P best spot to 40-0 Terence Crawford.
Lately, the Ring Magazine’s official listings for pound-for-pound king have Crawford superseding. Oleksandr Usyk and Canelo Alvarez follow next at #3 and #4. The rankings, as well as the rest of the list subsequently, have ignited quite the fan spark. A prime reaction proclaimed – “Inoue deserves number 1.“
“Bud” Crawford isn’t a name to dismissively disregard out of hand either. The former lightweight, junior welterweight undisputed, and welterweight undisputed champion, and the current unified welterweight champion has 31 KOs under his belt. Some fans have reacted to the matter accordingly.
In just his second featherweight boxing bout Inoue traded back-and-forth power shots and went blow-to-blow with Marlon Tapales. The 122lber dropped the rival in the 4th round and finally in the 10th of the undisputed title bout.
Fans react to Terrence Crawford topping Naoya Inoue in P4P rankings
With an array of highlights urging over names like Errol Spence Jr., Jose Benavidez Jr., Andre Gorges. and others, Terrence Crawford is a top-notch pro boxer. He accordingly deserves to be the #1 pound-for-pound. But then, so does Naoya Inoue. “The Monster” has been gradually surging through and dominating weights. He now has prominent wins as an undisputed champion at 122 lbs.
Inoue’s first victory over Nonito Donaire was selected as the 2019 ESPN Fight of the Year, and he has not looked back since then. He recently scored a historical stoppage win against Marlon Tapales. However, Crawford remains #1 on the list by Ring Magazine. Conversely, though, fans are split between the two. Check out how most have reacted below.
Despite victories over a plethora of rivals, a handful of fans have suggested that Inoue has lesser-known opponents. Hence, they are accordingly respectable of the listing. Conversely, some have added their own, which sees both variations of the boxers at the top.
In case you missed it:
- “Absolute mismatch” – Boxing veteran bashes fans for suggesting Gervonta Davis vs. Naoya Inoue superfight after super bantamweight glory
- Muhammad Ali’s grandson COMPLIMENTs Japanese star Naoya Inoue after a stellar performance against Marlon Tapales
Ajinkya Aswale
(1115 Articles Published)