The Naoya Inoue next fight news is set as “The Monster” returns in early 2025 to defend his undisputed junior featherweight championship.
Related: Gervonta Davis next fight: 3 Opponent Options For ‘Tank,’ Including A Rematch With Ryan Garcia
Who will Naoya Inoue next fight be against?
The reigning junior featherweight champion will put his title on the line against Sam Goodman. The bout will fulfill another mandatory title defense for Inoue after being rescheduled due to an injury suffered by Goodman.
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Sam Goodman on January 24
- Inoue vs. Goodman will take place on January 24 in Tokyo, Japan
- The Ariake Arena will serve as host for the event
- The championship match is expected to stream live on ESPN+
Naoya Inoue vs. Sam Goodman preview
Inoue has dominated since arriving on the big scene of boxing. He holds super bantamweight titles from WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and the Ring, having defended them this past September in Tokyo, Japan.
On that night, Inoue finished TJ Doheny in the seventh round for his 25th career finish among 28 wins. He became the undisputed champion in 2023 with a 10th round finish of Marlon Tapales.
A finishing champion: The win marked the 28th in the career of Inoue. Of those 28 pro fights, 25 have been finishes for him. That includes stoppage wins in each of his last nine fights, all of which have been title defenses.
Inoue last went to the scorecards in 2019 vs. Nonito Donaire. The last time he fought with a title not on the line was in 2013 in just his third pro bout.
Best of the best: Inoue is widely-regarded as one of the top boxers in the world. He ranks near the top of the charts on the pound-for-pound list. Among his many accolades, he is one of the just two male boxers to hold undisputed titles in two weight classes in the four-belt era. The other being Terence Crawford.
What makes Naoya Inoue so popular?
His willingness to stand and deliver the knockout blow. With those 23 finishes, Inoue is a finisher. Plus, ever since his decision to turn pro, he has always taken on the toughest challenges.
His first pro fight was against a Filipino national champion. From there, he battled a Thai national champion and Japan’s No. 1 ranked light flyweight at the time. In just his fourth pro bouts, he was competing for titles, winning the Japanese light flyweight belt.
- Naoya Inoue record: 87-0
- Naoya Inoue age: 31 years old
- In his pro debut, Inoue claimed a fourth round knockout of Crison Omayao. He followed with back-to-back finishes before going the full 10 rounds with Ryoichi Taguchi in 2013 for the title.
- Since winning the Japanese light flyweight belt, each of Inoue’s matches have been with a title on the line.
- He won his first major crown in 2014, claiming the WBC light flyweight belt with a finish of Adrian Hernandez. He won the WBO junior bantamweight title later that year.
- Along with wins over Nonito Donaire and Paul Butler, he has also topped Emmanuel Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Payano, Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales.
- The Ring, BWAA and ESPN named him Fighter of the Year in 2023.
- Married to his high school sweetheart, Inoue has three children.
- He is trained by his father, Shingo Inoue, a former amateur boxer. Brother Takuma Inoue and cousin Koki Inoue are both professional boxers as well.
Naoya Inoue net worth
Through the course of his career, Inoue has amassed a net worth of $7 million.
Related: Boxing Tonight: Fight Card, TV Info And Latest Betting Odds For Upcoming Fights On DAZN, ESPN, More
