Naoya Inoue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Naoya Inoue |
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Inoue in 2023
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| Nickname(s) | The Monster (怪物 Kaibutsu) |
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| Rated at |
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| Height | 5 ft 5 in | |||||||||||||
| Reach | 67+1/2 in | |||||||||||||
| Born | 10 April 1993 Zama, Kanagawa, Japan |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 29 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 29 | |||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 26 | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Naoya Inoue (井上 尚弥, Inoue Naoya, born 10 April 1993) is a famous Japanese professional boxer. He is known as "The Monster" because of his amazing punching power. He has won many world championships in four different weight classes.
Inoue is one of only three male boxers ever to become the undisputed champion in two weight classes. Being an undisputed champion means holding all four major world titles at the same time. He has won 89.65% of his fights by knockout, which is very high!
He was the first boxer to become the undisputed champion at super bantamweight in 2023. Before that, he was the undisputed champion at bantamweight from 2022 to 2023. He was the first undisputed bantamweight champion since 1972.
Earlier in his career, Inoue held the World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight title in 2014. He also held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior bantamweight title from 2014 to 2018. He won the World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight title from 2018 to 2019. He also won the 2018–2019 World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament.
In June 2022, Inoue became the first Japanese boxer to be ranked number one in the world. This ranking is called "pound for pound." He was named Fighter of the Year in 2023 by several big boxing organizations.
Contents
Amateur Career
Naoya Inoue started his boxing journey as an amateur. In 2009, he won two important Japanese championships. These were the Japanese Interscholastic Athletic Meeting and the Japanese Junior National Championships.
In 2010, he earned a bronze medal at the Asian Youth Championships in Tehran, Iran. He also won the Japanese Junior Selection Tournament that year. He competed in the AIBA Youth World Championships but lost in an early round. He finished second in the Japanese National Championships in the same year.
In July 2011, Inoue won a gold medal at the 21st President's Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia. He also won the Japanese Interscholastic Athletic Meeting again. Later, he competed in the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships. He was stopped in the third round. He also lost in the final of the 2012 Asian Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament. Inoue had a strong amateur record of 75 wins and 6 losses, with 48 knockouts.
Professional Career
Light Flyweight
Naoya Inoue began his professional boxing career in 2012. In his very first fight, he knocked out Crison Omayao in the fourth round. This was a great start for him.
On January 5, 2013, he quickly knocked out Thai champion Ngaoprajan Chuwatana in the first round. This showed his power early on.
His third fight was against Yūki Sano. Inoue injured his right hand during this fight. Even with one hand, he managed to win by TKO in the tenth round. He showed great determination.
On August 25, 2013, Inoue won the Japanese light flyweight title. He defeated Ryoichi Taguchi. This made him the fastest Japanese boxer to win a title in 23 years. He achieved this in only four professional fights.
In December 2013, he won another regional title. He defeated Jerson Mancio by TKO in the fifth round. This was for the vacant OPBF light flyweight title.
In his sixth professional fight, Inoue won his first major world title. He stopped Adrián Hernández in the sixth round. This made him the WBC light flyweight champion in April 2014.
He defended his WBC title for the first time in September 2014. He defeated Samartlek Kokietgym by TKO in the eleventh round. After this win, Inoue decided to give up his title. He wanted to move up to a higher weight class.
Super Flyweight
In November 2014, Inoue moved up two weight classes to super flyweight. He challenged Omar Andrés Narváez for the WBO junior bantamweight title. Inoue won the fight by knockout in the second round. This was a very impressive win.
On December 29, 2015, Inoue faced Warlito Parrenas. He knocked Parrenas down twice in the second round. The referee stopped the fight, giving Inoue another knockout win.
In May 2016, he defended his WBO title against David Carmona. Inoue injured his right hand again during this fight. But he still won by a unanimous decision.
His third defense was against Petchbarngborn Kokietgym in September 2016. Inoue won by knockout in the tenth round. He successfully defended his title for the third time.
In December 2016, Inoue faced Kohei Kono, a two-time super flyweight champion. Inoue won the fight in the sixth round.
Inoue wanted to fight Román González, another champion. But González chose to fight someone else. Inoue kept defending his WBO title. He won his fifth defense against Ricardo Rodríguez in May 2017. He won in the third round with many punches.
In September 2017, Inoue fought Antonio Nieves in the U.S. He won that fight too. In December 2017, he faced Yan Boyeaux. Inoue knocked Boyeaux down four times. The referee stopped the fight in the third round. This was Inoue's seventh successful title defense.
Bantamweight
In March 2018, Naoya Inoue announced he would move up to bantamweight. His first fight in this new weight class was against Jamie McDonnell. McDonnell was the WBA bantamweight champion.
Inoue knocked out McDonnell in the first round. McDonnell was knocked down by a left hook. The referee stopped the fight quickly. Inoue became the only boxer to stop McDonnell at bantamweight.
World Boxing Super Series
After beating McDonnell, Inoue decided to join the World Boxing Super Series. This was a tournament where top champions fought each other. He wanted to face other world champions like Ryan Burnett, Zolani Tete, and Emmanuel Rodríguez.
In his first fight of the tournament, Inoue chose to fight Juan Carlos Payano. The fight took place in October 2018 in Japan. Inoue won with a knockout in the first round. He landed a powerful right hand that put Payano down. This knockout was later named the "Knockout of the Year."
Next, Inoue faced IBF bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodríguez in May 2019. The fight was in Scotland. Inoue won by knocking out Rodríguez in the second round. He knocked Rodríguez down three times very quickly. Inoue became the first boxer to stop Rodríguez.
World Boxing Super Series Final
In November 2019, Inoue fought Nonito Donaire in the World Boxing Super Series final. It was a tough fight that went all 12 rounds. Inoue won by a unanimous decision. He received the Muhammad Ali Trophy. Inoue later said he had a fractured eye bone and a broken nose from the fight. This fight was named the "Fight of the Year."
In October 2020, Inoue fought Jason Moloney. Inoue knocked Moloney down with a right hand and won by knockout in the seventh round. He was the first boxer to stop Moloney.
In June 2021, Inoue defended his titles against Michael Dasmariñas. He knocked Dasmariñas down three times with left hooks to the body. He won by stoppage in the third round.
In December 2021, Inoue defended his titles against Aran Dipaen. He knocked Dipaen down in the eighth round. The referee stopped the fight, giving Inoue a technical knockout win. Inoue was named "Fighter of the Year" by the Japanese Boxing Commission.
In June 2022, Inoue had a rematch with Nonito Donaire. This was a title unification fight. Inoue won by technical knockout in the second round. He knocked Donaire down in the first round and finished him in the second. Inoue became the only boxer to stop Donaire at bantamweight. After this win, Inoue was ranked as the number one "pound for pound" boxer in the world. He was the first Japanese boxer to achieve this.
Undisputed Bantamweight Champion
On December 13, 2022, Inoue fought Paul Butler. Butler was the reigning WBO bantamweight champion. This fight was to unify all the bantamweight titles.
Inoue won the fight by knockout in the eleventh round. He hit Butler with many body shots until the referee stopped the fight. Inoue was far ahead on the scorecards when the fight ended.
With this victory, Inoue became the first undisputed bantamweight champion since 1972. He was also the first undisputed bantamweight champion in the "four-belt era." This means he held all four major world titles at once. He also set a new record for the most wins in unified title fights in bantamweight history. In January 2023, Inoue gave up all his titles to move up to super bantamweight.
Super Bantamweight
In January 2023, Inoue began talks to fight Stephen Fulton. Fulton was the undefeated unified super bantamweight world champion. The fight was first planned for May 2023, but it was moved to July 2023 because Inoue injured his fist.
Inoue won the fight by technical knockout in the eighth round. He knocked Fulton down with a left hook. Then, he landed more punches until the referee stopped the fight. Inoue landed many more punches than Fulton.
Undisputed Super Bantamweight Champion
In August 2023, it was announced that Inoue would fight Marlon Tapales. Tapales was the unified WBA (Super) and IBF super bantamweight champion. This fight was to become the undisputed champion. The fight happened in Tokyo, Japan, on December 26, 2023.
Inoue won the fight by knockout in the tenth round. He became the first-ever undisputed super bantamweight champion. This made him a two-division undisputed champion, which is a rare achievement. Tapales was knocked down in the fourth round and again in the tenth. The second knockdown meant he couldn't get up in time. This was Inoue's 19th knockout in 21 world title fights.
On May 6, 2024, Inoue defended his undisputed title against Luis Nery. This fight was held at the Tokyo Dome, which was a big event. Inoue was knocked down for the first time in his professional career in the first round. However, he recovered and knocked Nery down three times. He won the fight by knockout in the sixth round. After this win, Inoue was ranked as the number one "pound for pound" boxer again.
Inoue made his second defense against TJ Doheny on September 3, 2024. He kept his undisputed title by stopping Doheny with a body shot in the seventh round. Doheny dropped to one knee, and the referee stopped the fight.
Inoue was set to defend his title against Sam Goodman in December 2024. But Goodman got an eye injury, so the fight was moved to January 2025. Goodman later pulled out due to his eye injury. Kim Ye-joon replaced him. Inoue won the fight by fourth-round knockout.
Personal Life
Naoya Inoue is married to his high school sweetheart. They have three children. His father, Shingo Inoue, trains him. His father was also an amateur boxer. Naoya has a younger brother, Takuma Inoue, and an older cousin, Koki Inoue. Both of them are also professional boxers.
Professional Boxing Record
| 29 fights | 29 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 26 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Win | 29–0 | Ye Joon-Kim | KO | 4 (12), 2:25 | 24 Jan 2025 | Ariake Arena, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super bantamweight titles |
| 28 | Win | 28–0 | TJ Doheny | TKO | 7 (12), 0:16 | 3 Sep 2024 | Ariake Arena, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super bantamweight titles |
| 27 | Win | 27–0 | Luis Nery | KO | 6 (12), 1:39 | 6 May 2024 | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super bantamweight titles |
| 26 | Win | 26–0 | Marlon Tapales | KO | 10 (12), 1:02 | 26 Dec 2023 | Ariake Arena, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles; Won WBA (Super), IBF, and vacant The Ring super bantamweight titles |
| 25 | Win | 25–0 | Stephen Fulton | TKO | 8 (12), 1:14 | 25 Jul 2023 | Ariake Arena, Tokyo, Japan | Won WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Paul Butler | KO | 11 (12), 1:09 | 13 Dec 2022 | Ariake Arena, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and The Ring bantamweight titles; Won WBO bantamweight title |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Nonito Donaire | TKO | 2 (12), 1:24 | 7 Jun 2022 | Super Arena, Saitama, Japan | Retained WBA (Super), IBF, and The Ring bantamweight titles; Won WBC bantamweight title |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Aran Dipaen | TKO | 8 (12), 2:34 | 14 Dec 2021 | Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBA (Super), IBF, and The Ring bantamweight titles |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Michael Dasmariñas | KO | 3 (12), 2:45 | 19 Jun 2021 | Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), IBF, and The Ring bantamweight titles |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Jason Moloney | KO | 7 (12), 2:59 | 31 Oct 2020 | MGM Grand Conference Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), IBF, and The Ring bantamweight titles |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Nonito Donaire | UD | 12 | 7 Nov 2019 | Super Arena, Saitama, Japan | Retained IBF and The Ring bantamweight titles; Won WBA (Super) bantamweight title; World Boxing Super Series: bantamweight final |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Emmanuel Rodríguez | KO | 2 (12), 1:20 | 18 May 2019 | SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Scotland | Retained WBA (Unified) bantamweight title; Won IBF and vacant The Ring bantamweight titles; World Boxing Super Series: bantamweight semi-final |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Juan Carlos Payano | KO | 1 (12), 1:10 | 7 Oct 2018 | Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | Retained WBA (Regular) bantamweight title; World Boxing Super Series: bantamweight quarter-final |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Jamie McDonnell | KO | 1 (12), 1:52 | 25 May 2018 | Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Won WBA (Regular) bantamweight title |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Yoan Boyeaux | KO | 3 (12), 1:40 | 30 Dec 2017 | Cultural Gymnasium, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan | Retained WBO junior bantamweight title |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Antonio Nieves | RTD | 6 (12), 3:00 | 9 Sep 2017 | Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, U.S. | Retained WBO junior bantamweight title |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Ricardo Rodriguez | KO | 3 (12), 1:08 | 21 May 2017 | Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBO junior bantamweight title |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Kohei Kono | KO | 6 (12), 1:01 | 30 Dec 2016 | Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBO junior bantamweight title |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Petchbarngborn Kokietgym | KO | 10 (12), 3:03 | 4 Sep 2016 | Sky Arena, Zama, Kanagawa, Japan | Retained WBO junior bantamweight title |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | David Carmona | UD | 12 | 8 May 2016 | Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBO junior bantamweight title |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Warlito Parrenas | KO | 2 (12), 1:20 | 29 Dec 2015 | Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBO junior bantamweight title |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Omar Narváez | KO | 2 (12), 3:01 | 30 Dec 2014 | Metropolitan Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Won WBO junior bantamweight title |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Samartlek Kokietgym | TKO | 11 (12), 1:08 | 5 Sep 2014 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Retained WBC light flyweight title |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Adrián Hernández | KO | 6 (12), 2:54 | 6 Apr 2014 | Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Won WBC light flyweight title |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Jerson Mancio | TKO | 5 (12), 2:51 | 6 Dec 2013 | Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan | Won vacant OPBF light flyweight title |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Ryoichi Taguchi | UD | 10 | 25 Aug 2013 | Sky Arena, Zama, Kanagawa, Japan | Won Japanese light flyweight title |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Yūki Sano | TKO | 10 (10), 1:09 | 16 Apr 2013 | Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Ngaoprajan Chuwatana | KO | 1 (8), 1:50 | 5 Jan 2013 | Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Crison Omayao | KO | 4 (8), 2:04 | 2 Oct 2012 | Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan |
Exhibition Boxing Record
| 0 fights | 0 wins | 0 losses |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | N/A | 0–0 (4) | Daigo Higa | N/A | 3 | 11 Feb 2021 | Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan | Non-scored bout |
| 3 | N/A | 0–0 (3) | Genesis Servania | N/A | 3 | 19 Aug 2018 | Sangyo Hall, Kanazawa, Japan | Non-scored bout |
| 2 | N/A | 0–0 (2) | Genesis Servania | N/A | 3 | 3 Jul 2016 | Happiring, Fukui, Japan | Non-scored bout |
| 1 | N/A | 0–0 (1) | Akira Yaegashi | N/A | 2 | 19 May 2014 | Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan | Non-scored bout |
Titles in Boxing
Major World Titles
- WBC light flyweight champion (108 lbs)
- WBO junior bantamweight champion (115 lbs)
- IBF bantamweight champion (118 lbs)
- WBA (Super) bantamweight champion (118 lbs)
- WBC bantamweight champion (118 lbs)
- WBO bantamweight champion (118 lbs)
- WBC super bantamweight champion (122 lbs)
- WBO super bantamweight champion (122 lbs)
- WBA (Super) super bantamweight champion (122 lbs)
- IBF super bantamweight champion (122 lbs)
Minor World Titles
- WBA (Regular) bantamweight champion (118 lbs)
- WBA (Unified) bantamweight champion (118 lbs)
The Ring Magazine Titles
- The Ring bantamweight champion (118 lbs)
- The Ring super bantamweight champion (122 lbs)
Regional/International Titles
- Japanese light flyweight champion (108 lbs)
- OPBF light flyweight champion (108 lbs)
Honorary Titles
- WBC Diamond bantamweight champion (118 lbs)
Boxing Awards
- The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year: 2023
- The Ring magazine Fight of the Year: 2019
- Sugar Ray Robinson Award: 2023
- BWAA Ali-Frazier Award: 2019
- Muhammad Ali Trophy: 2019
- WBC Fighter of the Year: 2023
- WBA Knockout of the Year: 2018
- ESPN Fighter of the Year: 2023
- ESPN Fight of the Year: 2019
- CBS Sports Fight of the Year: 2019
- CBS Sports Fighter of the Year: 2023
- Top Rank's Fighter of the Year: 2022, 2023
- Top Rank's Knockout of the Year: 2022
- Metro Fighter of the Year: 2023
- WBN Young Fighter of the Year: 2014
- WBN Stoppage of the Year: 2018
- WBN Fight of the Year: 2019
- WBN Fighter of the Year: 2023
- Yahoo Sports Fight of the Year: 2019
- FanSided Fight of the Year: 2019
- The Sweet Science (TSS) Fighter of the Year: 2023
- Boxing Insider's Fighter of the Year: 2022
- Boxing Insider's Knockout of the Year: 2018
- BoxingScene's Fighter of the Year: 2014, 2023
- Japan Boxing Commission’s Fighter of the Year: 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- Japan Boxing Commission’s Knockout of the Year: 2018, 2020, 2023
Filmography
Television and Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | WBSS Bantamweight Tournament Final: Inoue vs Donaire | Himself |
| 1 episode, 2019 | VS Arashi | |
| 2019 | 70th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen | Himself (judge) |
| 2024 | The Fight Life - Naoya Inoue: The Perfect Fighter | Himself |
See Also
In Spanish: Naoya Inoue para niños
- Boxing in Japan
- Notable boxing families
- List of Japanese boxing world champions
- List of world light-flyweight boxing champions
- List of world super-flyweight boxing champions
- List of world bantamweight boxing champions
- List of world super-bantamweight boxing champions
- List of boxing quadruple champions
