Japan’s undefeated Naoya Inoue, 31, will face Britain’s Sam Goodman on January 24 at the Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, in Tokyo, Japan. In a fight that looks like a formality for Inoue, and should win easily. Goodman (19-0, 8 KO) is not a threat to Monster and we think this should be his last fight in the Superbantamweight division.
If Inoue decides to move up to featherweight, we have several fighters ready to meet him at this weight class in a title fight. However, his team’s plans could take him to a prelim fight first before facing one of the current featherweight champions.
Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza and Angelo Leo are logical candidates. Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton fought each other in February, and the winner could get their name on the list. If Naoya wants to fight for the title right away. In 2023, Fulton was knocked out by Inoue in 8 rounds in the super bantamweight division.
Another man in this weight class who could appear is Robeisy Ramirez. The Cuban lost to Espinoza in a controversial fight, and little is known about his health after his loss to El Divino. However, his status in this weight class leaves room for Inoue to measure up if he has already recovered his health.
Nick Ball will face TJ Doheny on March 15th, which closes the possibility of both facing Naoya soon. Rey Vargas hasn’t won since 2022 and O’Shaquie Foster still hasn’t beaten Robinson Conceicao; he will most likely have a third fight after split decision wins in both fights.
While Naoya’s featherweight prospects aren’t great, boxing fans are still interested in seeing him take on the best in the 126lb division. Going to 122lb would be a waste of time and money for the Japanese monster. His superiority against the super bantamweight is great and we don’t see anyone being able to stop him or give him a tough fight.
We believe that in 2025, Naoya should step up and move up to featherweight. Most fans want to measure its capacity against 126 pounds. If his team in Japan decides to allow him to move up in weight, the opponent’s name has to matter.
Naoya Inoue’s position on the LxL charts means that his featherweight opponent has to be a real contender. Due to their physical advantages in stature and reach, Rey Vargas and Rafael Espinoza look like very strong rivals. We don’t know if the Mexicans will be able to stay in the featherweight division much longer; it’s possible both have to go super featherweight, which opens up a more even compass for Inoue at this weight.
After considering all the possibilities, among the best opponents in the featherweight division, although it seems unlikely, we tend to believe that the chosen one could be Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez. The reason is that the Cuban still holds his name at the top of this weight class, and Inoue’s physical deficiencies wouldn’t be as overwhelming.
Regardless of who Naoya Inoue and his team choose to make the jump to 126 pounds, the fact is that fans want to see him face the best in that weight class. Naoya, for some, looks unbeatable not only at 126 lbs, but they even see him in the future, closing out his career and dominating the super featherweight division, which seems unlikely.
For now, we’ll be content to see him move up in weight and take on the best featherweight available during 2025. There are names that can surprise Inoue at this weight, and we can’t wait to see if he can maintain his power and dominance at this weight .
