“Not for the money,” Naoya Inoue shuts down Saudi Arabia’s dream matchup against Gervonta Davis

Naoya Inoue turns down the idea of moving down weight classes for big fights and doesn't chase money. 

“Not for the money,” Naoya Inoue shuts down Saudi Arabia’s dream matchup against Gervonta Davis

Naoya Inoue (image credit- Sky Sports News)

Naoya Inoue appears to be less keen on facing off against Gervonta Davis. ‘The Monster’ has just been featured in an interview with Ring TV, where he talked about different subjects like his most recent fight and his plans for 2024. Subsequently, Inoue was questioned about the chance of a bout with Davis, which has been widely discussed in the boxing community. 

The fight always seemed far-fetched since they were from different weight divisions. Furthermore, the amount of money and resources required to make the fight happen was also not present. However, this changed when Saudi Arabia got involved in the sport, and they were able to make the biggest fights happen. As such, Turki Alalshikh has even discussed the prospect of making a fight between Davis and Inoue happen. 

Many fighters who have chased the money but ended up not being able to perform well and quit. The reason I box is not for the money; I do this to show my best self.
Naoya Inoue via Ring TV
YouTube video

The Japanese boxer revealed he wasn’t keen on advancing to a higher weight division solely for financial gain. Naoya Inoue mentioned his desire to excel in the sport, a goal that could be hindered by competing in a different weight class. 

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Similarly, Davis has also expressed that he does not want to go down a weight class. Hence, this makes the fight impossible since both fighters cannot agree on a weight class. While this fight may not happen, Alalshikh has spoken about other fights he would like to witness. 

Naoya Inoue wins the Fighter of the Year award

Inoue relished the moment recently when he was honored with the title Fighter of the Year 2023. As such, he became the first Japanese boxer to receive the Sugar Ray Robinson Award. Furthermore, the title was represented by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Naoya Inoue
Naoya Inoue (image credit- Sky Sports News)

The award was presented to him during a ceremony in New York. Subsequently, it was highlighted how he defeated Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales. These two fights made him the second person to become a two-time, two-weight, undisputed, and undefeated champion. 

Furthermore, Inoue became the undisputed champion in two classes in 12 months. Subsequently, in his most recent fight, he fought against Luis Nery at the Tokyo Dome.

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