Twelve days after Naoya Inoue beat Junto Nakatani by unanimous determination at Tokyo Dome, the dialog across the undisputed tremendous bantamweight champion has shifted from the end result to what comes subsequent, and the noise is coming from a number of instructions without delay.
Inoue, now 33-0 with 27 knockouts, retained his WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles on Could 2 with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 116-112, based on ESPN’s report from Tokyo. The battle drew roughly 55,000 followers and was billed by promoters as the biggest boxing occasion in Japanese historical past.
Crawford Weighs In on P4P
Terence Crawford, who was elevated to The Ring’s pound-for-pound No. 1 rating earlier this yr following his win over Canelo Alvarez, has publicly named Inoue as the present high fighter within the sport. In video that has circulated on social media because the Nakatani battle, Crawford mentioned Inoue has reclaimed the highest spot and added that the Japanese star has the instruments to compete at featherweight if he chooses to maneuver up.
The Ring has since restored Inoue to its No. 1 P4P place, shifting him previous Oleksandr Usyk and Crawford himself.
The Numbers Behind Tokyo Dome
The business story of the Nakatani battle has continued to develop. Japanese telecom outlet Impress Watch reported that NTT Docomo’s president confirmed the pay-per-view broadcast approached a million home buys, which might almost double the earlier Japanese boxing PPV file.
Al Jazeera’s match recap famous the gate determine positioned the occasion among the many highest-grossing boxing playing cards in historical past.
A Father’s Suggestion
Shingo Inoue, Naoya’s father and longtime coach, has steered in post-fight feedback reported in Japanese media that his son has nothing left to show. The remarks, made within the days following the Nakatani battle, framed retirement as a reliable possibility after 4 divisional titles and a return to the highest of the pound-for-pound rankings.
Naoya Inoue is 33. He has not publicly indicated any intention to step away. In his post-fight remarks at Tokyo Dome, he known as the win a major milestone and left open the potential of a Nakatani rematch.
Nakatani Surgical procedure Reported
Any instant rematch seems unlikely. A number of reviews out of Japan point out Nakatani requires surgical procedure associated to accidents sustained in the course of the Could 2 battle, which might push again his return timeline. Particular particulars on the process and restoration window haven’t been publicly disclosed.
CBS Sports activities’ stay protection from battle night time described a cautious early tempo earlier than the battle escalated into the back-and-forth exchanges that left each fighters marked up by the later rounds.
Carrington Steps Ahead
Bruce Carrington, the undefeated American featherweight prospect, has used the post-fight information cycle to place himself as a possible Inoue opponent ought to the champion transfer as much as 126 kilos. Carrington has acknowledged publicly that he’s prepared instantly and believes he matches up nicely at featherweight.
Carrington, a 2020 Olympic alternate signed with High Rank, is unbeaten as an expert and has been constructing towards a title alternative at featherweight. A battle with Inoue would signify a major step up.
Bam Rodriguez and the 122-Pound Query
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez stays the matchup most regularly talked about in pound-for-pound conversations involving Inoue. Rodriguez has captured world titles at junior bantamweight and has been linked to a possible transfer as much as 122 kilos, the place Inoue at present sits.
Inoue has beforehand indicated he would really like one or two extra fights at tremendous bantamweight earlier than contemplating a transfer to featherweight, which would depart a window for a Rodriguez matchup at 122. No negotiations have been publicly confirmed.
The place It Stands
Nothing has been signed. Inoue has not introduced his subsequent opponent or his subsequent weight class. What has modified in two weeks is the quantity and the stakes of the dialog round him: a P4P coronation from the consensus former No. 1, a retirement suggestion from inside his personal camp, a callout from a rising American on the subsequent weight up, and a PPV determine that has shifted the economics of any future negotiation.
