Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed junior featherweight title on May 6th in his sixth straight fight in his native Japan.
For Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs), it was good to be home. The 31-year-old convincingly defeated Philadelphia’s Stephen Fulton to become the undisputed bantamweight champion and pound-for-pound world champion.
This may suggest that the American is ugly, but if he really wants to earn big money, his genius in the ring belongs on American soil.
On Thursday’s episode of “Deep Waters” on Probox TV, former welterweight titleholder Shawn Porter said Inoue needs to raise his profile by returning to the United States. Inoue has only faced the four-division champion three times, the last time in 2021. . “I really don’t know what Inoue’s goal is — is it to become boxing’s next star?” Porter wondered. “In boxing, you have to come to America and cross the ocean and knock out some Americans so that other Americans (fans) know what you’re doing.”
Inoue will face former Mexican junior featherweight titleholder Luis Neri (35-1, 27 KOs) in Japan on May 6, with the bout starting early Monday morning (US time).
Through sleepy eyes, American fight fans witnessed the undeniable talent, evil power and ruthlessness of “The Monster” as he headlined the show in Japan.
“There are a lot of people who respect Inoue and what he does,” Porter said.
“But if you’re like me, you’re like, ‘Hey, let’s get him out of his backyard and make him a little uncomfortable and see how he handles energy when he’s not home. “Sho…” he would say.
Inoue will be an incredible -1250 betting favorite for this match, which will be played in front of a crowd of 50,000 at Tokyo Dome, against Neri, who is a 7-1 underdog. Neri, whose only loser is Brandon Figueroa, attempts to challenge Inoue’s dominance, calling him “overrated,” “average,” and “overconfident.”
“I go in there and look for the knockout,” Nelly told Manouk Akopian of BoxingScene. “I’m not going to Japan to make a decision.”
“You can tell he’s a fast fighter.” He obviously has a lot of power. These are his strengths. His weakness is getting open when he throws, and that’s where I come in. ”
Inoue showed little of his weakness in his past two unification bouts, defeating Fulton and Marlon Tapares. If he were to defeat Neri, the immediate question would be whether Inoue has the courage to move up to the next weight class, featherweight.
Of course, the bigger question for others is whether he will give up the advantages of his homeland.
Ashley’s View:
Naoya Inoue’s dominance in the junior featherweight division is undeniable, but the question is: Does he need to prove himself on American soil to cement his place as boxing’s next star? Remaining. Former welterweight world champion Shawn Porter hinted at this, stressing the importance of traveling across the ocean to face America’s best fighters to raise his profile. Inoue’s upcoming defense against Luis Neri in Japan will highlight his undeniable talent, but stepping out of his comfort zone could be the key to growing his fan base and earning big bucks in his fights. While Inoue’s return match will draw praise, a challenging American opponent could take his career to new heights. As Inoue continues to showcase his skills, the boxing world waits to see his next move and whether he will risk going beyond his home country to cement his greatness.
