Naoya Inoue is out of options at bantamweight. The Japanese superstar completed the set at 118lbs, and it appears that a jump up in weight is next in 2023. After dominating and stopping Paul Butler to add the WBO belt to his vast collection of titles, Inoue requires a new challenge, and it appears that moving to super-bantamweight is his next likely destination.
After defeating all his meaningful rivals at 118lbs, there’s literally nowhere else at his current size to look that hasn’t already been conquered. Below him at super-flyweight is several well-known operators but with miles on the clock and those not yet ready, would the likes of Jesse Rodriguez or Juan Francisco Estrada really make a dent in Inoue? If Inoue really wants to see how great he is, then he must pile on pounds.
Waiting for Inoue at his potential new weight class is another Pound for Pound star in Stephen Fulton. The brilliant Philadelphian has climbed the rankings in recent years with a number of stellar performances and if Inoue wants to be number one at 122lbs then Fulton is the man he must go through and that won’t be easy.
Wins over Angelo Leo, Brandon Figueroa and Daniel Roman in the last two years have taken Fulton from an unknown proposition to a fighter very much highly respected by all in the fight game. Skilful, tough, and able to adapt, Fulton will likely present Inoue with the toughest task of his career, and that will work both ways with Inoue being a step above Fulton’s opponents to date.
Is it a fight that we could see in 2023? It’s a problem that will need solving. Inoue is very much a big part of the thriving Top Rank stable, and Fulton has been a staple of PBC for quite a while. The rival promoters don’t work together often, but when they do, Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder for example, the end result is usually explosive and makes for good business.
Both fighters need this fight to enhance their legacy even further. Inoue is at a level where he’s very much a must-see attraction with fans all over the world ready to tune in and watch his fights. If he can return to America and knock off one of their leading champions, then it’s perhaps the time to start talking about Inoue as arguably the fighter of his generation.
Fulton still has some way to go before he enters such conversations, but a win over Inoue will do wonders for his profile in and out of the ring. His achievements are highly applauded, but victory over ‘The Monster’ will elevate him higher than he ever imagined. This was a fight off everyone’s radar twelve months ago, but today, it could be the best fight to make in the sport.