Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Naoya Inoue

Boxing aficionados should be grateful for the live-streaming era. Ten years ago, when a 20-year-old Naoya Inoue was gearing up for his first world title challenge in just his sixth pro bout, ambitious lighter-weight fighters from Japan and other parts of Asia went largely unnoticed by even hardcore fans in the U.S. and U.K. 

Inoue would prove to be a lot more than ambitious over the next nine years as he collected world titles from the best fighters of four weight classes – junior flyweight, junior bantamweight, bantamweight and junior featherweight – and thanks to DAZN, ESPN+ and other streaming sports platforms, fans from around the world have witnessed the wonders of “The Monster,” even when he’s fought in his native Japan.

Inoue, who ended 2022 as the undisputed bantamweight champion, proved to be one of the most dynamic and complete fighters of the modern era with his 2023 campaign.

In his first two bouts in the 122-pound division, Inoue defeated Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales – both unified junior featherweight world titleholders – in dominant fashion and became a two-division undisputed champion in the span of 12 months.

His feats did not go unnoticed by the rest of the world, as Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) showed us that the appeal of outstanding athletes can easily cross national borders. 

And with that, Inoue is The Ring’s 2023 Fighter of the Year. He is the first Japanese boxer ever to win the prestigious award, which dates back to 1928, and the first Asian boxer to achieve the honor since Manny Pacquiao did it in 2006, 2008 and 2009.

The Fulton fight in July was expected to be one of the biggest tests of Inoue’s career. Not only was this Inoue’s first fight at junior featherweight, but the WBC/WBO champion from Philadelphia was considered the best fighter in the weight class. Even Inoue’s most faithful supporters wondered how he would deal with Fulton’s size, technique, tenacity and versatility in the ring. But, in the end, there was no need for concern. Inoue outclassed Fulton with his superior speed, power and precise combination punching, knocking the previously unbeaten boxer down twice and winning by knockout in the eighth round, much to the delight of the Japanese fans in the packed Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

“Last year I became the undisputed bantamweight champion,” Inoue said during his post-fight interview in the ring. “But all I could think about was this fight against Fulton this year. 

“However, unfortunately, I got injured and had to postpone this fight [from its original date of May 7]. I am sorry to my team and Fulton’s team, but thank you so much for accepting this fight once again. I am so happy right now.”

The December fight against Tapales, a grizzled veteran from the Philippines, was viewed as a can’t-miss undisputed “coronation” for Inoue, but it turned out to be a tougher battle than many fans and media expected. 

Still, Inoue adjusted to the cagey southpaw’s slanted stance during the fight, knocking the WBA/IBF champ down twice (in Rounds 4 and 10) and winning by knockout in the 10th. After some tense moments during the middle rounds, the Ariake Arena was once again filled with cheers and applause.

(Photo by Naoki Fukuda)

The Monster has become the first-ever undisputed junior featherweight champion of the four-belt era, and only the second male boxer to become an undisputed champion in two divisions in the four-belt era, joining Terence Crawford, who achieved it at welterweight by destroying Errol Spence Jr. in July, after having unified 140-pound division in 2017. 

“I would like to thank everyone who supported me to make this fight happen: Ohashi Promotion, Teiken Promotions, and of course Bob Arum,” Inoue said during his in-ring interview following the Tapales victory. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have a fight against such a tough opponent. I think junior featherweight is my weight class for now, so in 2024, I would like to show myself in even stronger form.”

(Photo by Naoki Fukuda)

With such incredible achievements in recent years, Inoue has become a legitimate superstar in Japan, following in the footsteps of Major League Baseball’s Shohei Otani and Ichiro Suzuki, and figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu. The tickets to his fights are a genuine premium commodity in Japan; there aren’t enough seats to accommodate the demand, so fans take part in a lottery with a little over 10% of them scoring a ticket. 

Inoue’s next fight will likely take place at the massive 50,000-seat Tokyo Dome, where Mike Tyson fought in 1989 and 1990. Of course, his growing popularity and reputation is not limited to Japan.

Inoue, who was the first Japanese fighter to be No. 1 in The Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings in 2022, is currently rated No. 2, behind Crawford. If Inoue, who is 30 years old and is still in his prime, continues to beat top-rated fighters, he will likely retake the coveted top spot in the popular mythical rankings. At the very least, the pound-for-pound debate will be heated.

If Inoue has his way, he will remain in the pound-for-pound debate when Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk – who are both 36 years old – have moved on and a new generation that includes Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez and Jesse Rodriguez are vying for No. 1. 

Despite achieving so much by the age of 30, Inoue is never satisfied, and he’s seemingly still improving as he moves up the weight classes.

“I started boxing at the age of 6, and I want to find a proper end to my career,” Inoue told The Ring during an exclusive interview in 2022. “It’s not about how many weight classes I’d like to conquer or anything like that. I won’t want to fight in those exhibition matches after my retirement. I’d like to accomplish everything I want while I’m active.

“My goal is to create my own legacy, but I can’t think of specific goals right now. I used to say that I would retire at 35. However, maybe I could do it a little longer if I feel I can still do it.”

We don’t know how many more years we will be able to enjoy Inoue’s masterpieces. You never know what will happen in a boxing ring. Still, two things are already clear: The Monster is truly a generational talent, and we should all be happy to be living in the same generation as this extraordinary and historic fighter.

RUNNERS-UP:

Terence Crawford scored the most significant and dominant victory on the biggest stage in 2023 in brutally stopping fellow pound-for-pound-rated Errol Spence Jr. in nine rounds.

Devin Haney defended the undisputed lightweight championship against future hall of famer Vasiliy Lomachenko (albeit by close and controversial unanimous decision) and then dominated top-rated 140-pound beltholder Regis Prograis over 12 rounds in his junior welterweight debut.

Gervonta Davis halted 130-pound standout Hector Luis Garcia in nine rounds and then scored a body-shot stoppage of fellow attraction Ryan Garcia in the seventh round of the most successful pay-per-view event of 2023. 

David Benavidez solidified his status as the No. 1 super middleweight contender by outpointing former titleholder Caleb Plant and then handing former 154-pound and middleweight beltholder Demetrius Andrade his first pro loss via one-sided stoppage after six rounds.