Naoya Inoue prepares for ‘biggest fight in Japanese history’ with Junto Nakatani in 2025 | Boxing news
Naoya Inoue is headed for the “biggest fight in Japanese history” in 2025.
Inoue is one of the most impressive stars in world boxing. He has already become the undisputed world champion in two weight categories.
After unifying all four major bantamweight world titles, during 2023 and 2024 he collected all super bantamweight belts.
He defeated Luis Nery and TJ Doheny last year, stopping both and continuing a knockout streak that has extended since he first defeated Nonito Donaire in 2019.
His next defence, against Australia’s Sam Goodman, was postponed when the challenger, also unbeaten, suffered a cut over his eye in a sparring match.
Inoue will now box Goodman on January 24th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, live Sky Sports.
If Inoue wins, American promoters Top Rank intend to bring him back to America to fight another undefeated fighter, Alan David Picasso, possibly in April.
“December 24 [fight against Goodman] now it’s going to take place on January 24th, so it’s done, written in stone,” said Bob Arum of Top Rank Sky Sports.
“And then after that fight we expect to bring Inoue to the United States to fight in Las Vegas against this Mexican fighter named Picasso. We’re going to have a lot of fun with him. He’s a good fighter, Picasso.”
Junto Nakatani, the brilliant Japanese WBC bantamweight champion, becomes a threat to Inoue. He will next defend the title on February 24 against Mexican David Cuellar.
Arum wants to bring Nakatani to America to box on the same card as Inoue, with the goal of a head-to-head match later in the year.
The promoter said: “Then we’ll also have bantamweight champion Nakatani on that card. Great fighter and if Inoue and Nakatani win their fights, which will probably be in April, then they’ll be fighting each other for the 122lb title in Japan in Tokyo Dome, which would be the greatest fight in the history of Japan.”
Watch Naoya Inoue defend his undisputed world super bantamweight title against Sam Goodman on January 24th live on Sky Sports
