Naoya Inoue is a quiet, introverted man but a violent assassin, hitman and killer at his core when all is said and done.
That’s who he really is on the inside. That’s ‘The Monster’.
Alas, he returns to world title action tomorrow in big time boxing in Japan in a defence against a last minute change of opponent.
For one of the rare times however, ahead of tomorrow’s big fight and with the weight now made — he has now lasered in on fellow Japanese world champion — the outstanding Junto Nakatani of Inabe, Mie Prefecture.
Mike Coppinger on X notes a short time ago Inoue said:
“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.”
The 27-year-old Nakatani is 29-0-22 KO and the reigning WBC world bantamweight champion.
That is one of the rare times Inoue has been frank and brutally honest on his countryman’s actual ability as a fighter and fellow world champion.
He didn’t give him too much credit but didn’t overlook him either, a sensible middle of the road viewpoint while being very frank in that he still essentially views Nakatani as limited.
Nakatani returns on February 24th in Japan to defend his title against David Cuellar Contreras.
If Inoue were to defend his belts tomorrow in Japan, the fight sets up as a naturally supremely interesting one that not only Japanese boxing and sports fans will call for — but worldwide boxing fans too.
What a time for Japanese boxing.
Inoue puts his IBF, WBC and WBO super-bantamweight belts on the line tomorrow at the Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku in Japan against South Korea’s Ye Joon Kim.
