‘Japanese Monster’ Naoya Inoue exciting US return to happen in Las Vegas reveals legendary promoter
Reigning unified super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue is returning to the US for his fourth fight in the country.
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Noaya Inoue defeats Ye Joon Kim and teases his return to US (Image via Top Rank)
In the world of professional boxing, there are very few standout fighters who have impressive accolades to their names. Among the unified title holders in two weight classes, only three champions exist in the men’s category. Alongside Oleksandr Usyk and Terence Crawford, Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue is also considered one of the dominant forces in the sport and is preparing for his return to the US.
The Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, hosted an impressive performance by the reigning unified super-bantamweight boxing champion, Naoya Inoue. He faced Ye Joon Kim, who took the fight on short-notice and defeated him decisively. After the match, Inoue received widespread acclaim, including praise from his promoter, Bob Arum. While commending Inoue, Arum also shared details about the future.
I just want to say another great performance by our champion here. And I observed that the great country of Japan has given [Shohei] Ohtani to the city of Los Angeles, and at least for one fight, the great country of Japan will give this great Inoue to the city of Las Vegas for one fight this spring.
Bob Arum via Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim live broadcast
Inoue, with his usual staunch confidence, stood up strongly against the veteran opponent, Ye Joon Kim. From the very beginning, the ‘Japanese Monster’ outclassed Kim in every aspect of the sport. At the 2:25 mark of round 4, Inoue landed a brutal right hand that knocked his opponent down to the canvas.
2025. @NaoyaInoue_410 👹🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/SNlOUIqSwg
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) January 24, 2025
Onlookers, including Bob Arum and many others, praised Inoue as one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in today’s boxing world. The legendary boxing promoter revealed that Inoue’s next potential fight would take place in Las Vegas.
Throughout his impressive boxing career, the ‘Japanese Monster’ has seldom fought outside of Japan. In fact, Inoue has only competed in the United States three times, with his most recent match occurring in 2021. During that fight, he scored a knockout against Michael Dasmarinas in just three rounds, successfully defending his world bantamweight titles in Las Vegas.
Who could Naoya Inoue face on his return to the US?
The boxing community is well aware of Naoya Inoue’s impressive reputation, largely due to his undefeated record. Recently, the chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, signed a sponsorship deal with Inoue under the Ring Magazine banner. This development suggests the possibility of the ‘Japanese Monster’ competing in Saudi Arabia in the future.
There remains a degree of uncertainty regarding who Inoue might face in his next fight. The pool of potential opponents is surprisingly limited at this stage. One prominent contender emerging in discussions is Murodjon Akhmadaliev, the interim WBA super-bantamweight champion.
Alongside Matchroom boxer Akhmadaliev, another prominent fighter is the undefeated WBC bantamweight champion, Junto Nakatani. Inoue has often dismissed Nakatani on multiple occasions, but it remains to be seen how that will play out. As of now, Inoue has once again proved to be a destructive boxer even to a short-notice opponent in his recent fight.
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Nilaav Gogoi
(561 Articles Published)