Naoya Inoue, the world’s best boxer fans rarely get to see fight

Naoya Inoue, ESPN’s No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer, will help usher in the 2025 title fight slate with his third defense of the undisputed 122-pound championship early Friday in Tokyo (ESPN+, 4:15 a.m. ET).

This time the opponent is Ye Joon Kim, a largely unknown boxer from South Korea who has never challenged for a title. However, Kim (21-2-2, 13 KOs) was on standby after Inoue’s Christmas Eve defense against Australia’s Sam Goodman was postponed due to a cut over the challenger’s left eye suffered in sparring.

Goodman suffered a recurrence of the injury earlier this month that will sideline him for approximately six months due to plastic surgery. Kim stepped in on two weeks’ notice.

Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) is a staggering -5000 favorite, per ESPN BET, and the fight is likely to produce yet another KO for “The Monster.” There’s a reason why dedicated boxing fans wake up in the early-morning hours to watch Inoue fight, even when the opponents present little threat: He’s a generational talent who’s must-see TV.

And while Inoue hasn’t competed in the United States since 2021, that’s expected to change in 2025. Inoue told ESPN earlier this month he plans to return to the U.S. for a fight in Las Vegas.

“I think I would like to fight at the MGM [Grand Garden Arena],” Inoue, 31, said via an interpreter.

According to Inoue, one opponent being discussed for that stateside return: Alan Picasso Romero. Mexico City’s Picasso (31-0-1, 16 KOs) was No. 14 on ESPN’s ranking of the top 25 boxers under 25 years old in November. The 24-year-old earned his best win in August when he scored a lopsided decision over former title challenger Azat Hovhannisyan.

With Picasso’s growing following in Mexico and his propensity to throw with volume, he makes a lot of sense for Inoue’s grand return. Picasso is rated No. 9 at 122 pounds by ESPN.

Inoue said he’d like to fight four times in 2025, and while that would be impressive activity for any boxer at his level, he is already one of the sport’s busiest champions.

The last time Inoue competed four times in a calendar year: 2013. In 2020, he fought only once when the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the sport. His last nontitle fight was also in 2013 as Inoue has dominated through four weight classes (junior flyweight, junior bantamweight, bantamweight and junior featherweight).

Yet he still remains somewhat of a mystery to many American boxing fans since he constantly fights in Japan at odd hours in the U.S. What makes Inoue special? Let’s take a look:

Is there a fight that could help Inoue become a star in the U.S.?

There’s only one at the moment, and it’s unlikely to happen. That would be a fight against Gervonta Davis, a matchup that’s been discussed ad nauseam on social media but remains a long shot due to the gap in weight.

“Tank” Davis is a champion at 135 pounds and has fought at 140. Yet he weighed just 133.5 pounds for his June KO win over Frank Martin and said recently on social media that he’s 5-foot-4½. Perhaps this fight isn’t as far-fetched as it seems.

Inoue has said he’ll move up to 126 pounds at some point — likely in 2026 — and he’d then be just two weight classes apart from Davis. At 5-foot-5, Inoue is practically the same height, and they possess the same reach at 67½ inches. Davis formerly campaigned at 130 pounds, where he was a champion.

And that’s the weight where this fight might actually be feasible. Stranger things have certainly happened in boxing. The Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao, another Asian star who found immense popularity in the U.S., began his career at 108 pounds, like Inoue, and eventually fought Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds.

Pacquiao was a sizable underdog yet eviscerated De La Hoya in the fight that truly launched him to stardom.

And later this year, Terence Crawford (after only one fight at 154 pounds) is poised to climb two more weight classes for a showdown with Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds.

A Davis-Inoue fight, if it ever materializes, would be a megafight that would surely generate bonanza paydays for both fighters.

What other notable fights are out there for Inoue?

A fight with countryman Junto Nakatani, ESPN’s No. 10 pound-for-pound boxer, might be the biggest fight in boxing-crazed Japan’s history.

Nakatani, a three-division world champion, has impressed mightily in recent years and continues to dominate the 118-pound division. He’s a powerful puncher, throws punches from all angles and owns tremendous size at 5-foot-8.

He might also be the only fighter around Inoue’s weight whom some would pick to end Inoue’s illustrious run. At 27, Nakatani continues to improve under the guidance of renowned trainer Rudy Hernandez in Los Angeles.

And whenever they do meet, the bout should easily sell out the Tokyo Dome. Just last year, Inoue packed 50,000-plus fans into the famed venue for a KO of Luis Nery. Inoue’s fights are viewed by millions in Japan and he earns sizable guaranteed purses. That’s why there’s no need for him to fight in the U.S.

So when will this fight vs. Nakatani materialize? Inoue told ESPN he first wants to see Nakatani unify titles at 118 pounds. Currently, all four bantamweight titles are held by Japanese fighters, providing a road map for Nakatani, the WBC champ, to build his popularity.

“He’s definitely improved his level in boxing,” Inoue said of Nakatani, “but I still want to see something that is extremely impressive from him.”

Another fighter who could someday face Inoue: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez. The Mexican American has blasted through the opposition on his way to the No. 7 position in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings.

“Bam” is currently a champion at 115 pounds, but perhaps the timing will work for him to move up to 122 pounds before Inoue jumps to 126.

What makes Inoue must-see TV?

Inoue’s fights are routinely action-packed, even when there’s one-way traffic in the ring. He has finished 17 of his 18 opponents. The only one who lasted the distance during that stretch: future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire.

Donaire broke Inoue’s nose and orbital in the bout, which was named ESPN’s 2019 fight of the year. Inoue won that fight via decision and left no doubt in the 2022 rematch with a second-round TKO.

Friday’s fight will be Inoue’s impressive 24th consecutive title defense. And no matter whom he fights, Inoue delivers entertainment. His skills are otherworldly as he uses perfect balance, elite footwork and top-notch punch placement to break opponents down and then finish them.

Perhaps his most impressive win came in 2023 when he dominated American Stephen Fulton in his first fight at 122 pounds. Many observers believed Fulton would present Inoue’s toughest test, but Inoue dispensed with him over eight one-sided rounds.

The finishing sequence was a thing of beauty. Inoue jabbed Fulton to the body and followed up with a right cross to the head that wobbled him. A left hook sent Fulton, on unsteady legs, to the canvas. And when he regained his feet, a barrage left him in a heap in the corner.