Meet the pint-sized knockout machine dubbed ‘The Monster’ who is taking the boxing world by storm
Asian assassin Naoya Inoue is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet but still remains a mystery in a sport dominated by self-promotion
NAOYA INOUE might be the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet but, in a sport drowning in self-promotion, the man nicknamed ‘The Monster’ remains a mystery.
Fight fans know the three-weight world champion is about to win the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament, after he destroyed respected Emmanuel Rodriguez and grabbed his IBF belt in Saturday night’s semi-final.
But unlike the hype machines and trash talkers around him, Japan’s 26-year-old WBA regular boss remains a low-profile hero.
After just six pro fights, father-of-one Inoue won the WBC light-flyweight title by wrecking Adrian Hernandez inside six rounds and eight months later he lifted the WBO light-bantamweight belt after laying waist to previously unstoppable Omar Narvaez, inside two.
And he was back up to his old tricks last May when he needed just two minutes to obliterate Britain’s brave Jamie McDonnell for the WBA regular strap he has now unified with the IBF belt.
Fight fans are going wild for this Asian assassin and even his young son was cheering his brilliant October win over Juan Carlos Payano, another former champion put to the sword in just 70 seconds.
The Yokohama hero’s camp is water tight, father and trainer Shingo has bred and guided his boy into beast but 23-year-old brother Takuma has only scored three KOs in his 13-0 career, so far.
While veteran promoter Hideyuki Ohashi, a retired two-time strawweight champ, is deadly serious when he says Inoue is the finest fighting machine he has ever seen.
But he did inject some humour into Saturday’s brutal business trip when he joked he had been left disappointed by the long night, saying: “I am always proud but I want to see first-round knockouts again” - a quip that even earned a rare but glistening smile from the champ.
While Inoue keeps his pre and post fight interviews brief and vague, his biggest fans are full of praise,
Ex-British middleweight champ Matthew Macklin said: "Inoue is a beast. The hardest puncher pound-for-pound in boxing."
INOUE'S AMAZING RECORD SO FAR
18-0, 16 KO
3 x 1st Rnd KOs
3 x 2nd Rnd KOs
2 x 3rd Rnd KOs
1 x 4th Rnd KO
1 x 5th Rnd KO
3 x 6th Rnd KOs
2 x 10th Rnd KO
1 x 11 Rnd KO
1 x 10 Rnd Dec
1 x 12 Rnd Dec
Ring time: 4.5hrs or 262mins
And British fighter Gavin McDonnell, who watched brother Jamie crumble under Inoue’s power, tweeted: "Inoue is some fighter, beating three world champions in four rounds is crazy. Inoue is unstoppable for me.
"Name another champion who's cleaning up like him in the fashion he does? Our lower weights get no credit."
In times gone by, fighters below the welterweight division have struggled for the mainstream praise their skills and dedication deserve.
America is where the pay-per-view money is made and they have shown little intest as they have not been prolific at the lightest weights where nations like Japan, Thailand, Mexico and the Philippines have tended to dominate.
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But Inoue, who modestly claims he is still learning his trade, could smash the glass ceiling smaller fighters have been hindered by and become one of the sports biggest stars.
Sadly one of boxing’s nicest guys, Nonito Donaire, is his next opponent in the WBSS final, when the Filipino Flash will put his WBA super title on the line.
And fans of the 36-year-old four-weight hero are already fearing the worst for the fan-friendly veteran as he prepares to come face-to-face with a living nightmare.
