The 'Monster' has done it again.
Arguably the pound-for-pound best boxer in the sport, Naoya Inoue defended his undisputed super bantamweight world championship Friday night at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan by knocking out Ye Joon Kim in the fourth round. The late replacement Kim made the costly mistake by motioning for more and Inoue obliged by planting a left-handed jab to the challenger before swiveling his head with a cranking right hook for the explosive stoppage — his 10 straight KO.
A pristine 29-0 with 26 knockouts to his ledger now, all that’s left for the 31-year-old Inoue is to have bigger fights in a United States circuit and beyond.
Following his latest punctuating win, Inoue’s promoter and Top Rank founder Bob Arum teased unleashing the 'Monster' upon the U.S. at least for one fight.
“Another great performance by our champion here,” Arum said in the ring with Inoue beside him. “I observed that the great country of Japan has given [Shohei] Ohtani to the city of Los Angeles and at least for one fight, the great country of Japan will give this great Inoue to the city of Las Vegas for one fight this spring.”
Inoue added: “Yes, 2025 is the year for me to go oversea countries to have a fight. So for spring of 2025, I’ll be going to Las Vegas to show you a great match.
“I’m planning to have a fight in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia this year so please give me big applause and root for me everywhere I go.”
Having thoroughly energized and planted his flag in home venues such as the Ariake Arena, Tokyo Dome, and Super Arena in Japan, all that awaits Inoue is to thoroughly establish himself in the United States and outside. To do that, the 'Monster' can have the spring fight that Arum referenced, but he could also follow the stateside — and beyond — blueprint etched by Tyson Fury.
Shortly after returning to boxing from a near three year layoff, Fury and his team made it a concerted effort to establish him in the United States. Prior to his first of three fights with Deontay Wilder in December 2018, Fury had only fight outside of Europe — an April 2013 stoppage of Steve Cunningham at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
To get his name cooking in the U.S., Fury immediately roused interest with his colorful, charismatic exploits at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum during the NYC leg of the promotional tour with Wilder.
Fury would then fight Wilder to a split draw at the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, in LA, California. From there, his U.S. circuit had begun as Fury went on to fight in Las Vegas venues such as the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T-Mobile Arena where he closed out his trilogy with Wilder with an eye-popping 11-round knockout in October 2021.
Those five consecutive fights in the United States were followed by two dazzling outings back home in London, before his pair of classic 2024 bouts against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This gauntlet helped launch Fury’s fighting profile from star to global superstar.
The “Monster” can do the same with a U.S. and worldwide circuit of his own. Inoue has fought in America before in the form of a September 2017 stoppage of Antonio Nieves at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California and back-to-back knockouts of Jason Moloney and Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas and MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas in October 2020 and June 2021, respectively. But that’s about it. Boxing fans already stream Inoue's fights and watch his highlights on social media.
But having a string of fights stateside and beyond, like Fury did recently, would elevate Inoue’s fight profile to new heights. He’s already an otherworldly performer that boxing heads know. But that U.S. and worldwide tour outside of Japan would have him energizing and bankrolling casuals as part of his fan base, too.
And he’d be doing that by dipping into his bag of an abundance of boxing skills from his precision to speed, footwork, slicing power and explosiveness which has empowered him to produce one of the most scintillating highlight reels in boxing history.
“I am pretty sure 2025 is going to be the big year for me,” Inoue said Friday.
A stateside — and beyond — tour would let the 'Monster' roam and grow.