Inoue KO's Kim In 4

Undefeated Undisputed Jr. Featherweight world champion Naoya Inoue scored a fourth round knockout of WBO number eleven rated Jr. Featherweight contender Ye Joon Kim on Friday night at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Despite Kim taking the fight on eleven days notice, over 15,000 spectators filled the Ariake Arena, a site that has hosted several of Inoue’s previous fights. A testament to the star power of Inoue in his native Japan where he has become in many observer’s opinions as among the best fighters pound for pound in the world.

This fight also presented a little of a different challenge for the four-division world champion in having to adjust to a change of opponent after original opponent, IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman was forced to pull out of the fight twice, first on the original date on Christmas Eve of last year and then having to pull out of the rescheduled date of January 24th due to the cut that he suffered in training prior to the original postponement. Kim appeared to be a capable opponent who stepped in to take the assignment in his first opportunity to fight for a world championship.

The fight began with Kim initially pressing forward and slightly moving Inoue backward fighting out of the southpaw stance. This set up an interesting tactical battle as the two fighters prodded for position with each attempting to attack the other in short bursts of offense with the champion gradually taking over the position as the fighter applying consistent pressure on the challenger. Despite consistently pushing Kim back against the ropes and periodically cornering him, the fight remained very close with Kim being able to periodically land combinations to the head throughout the first three rounds.

As the fight moved into the fourth round, it appeared as though it would be more of the same. The subtle work Inoue was able to do to Kim’s body, however, that was mostly non-descript up to that point, began to create openings to the challenger’s head. Inoue connected with a combination to the head, which had Kim waving him in seemingly inviting the champion, a fighter with a 90% career knockout percentage to throw more at him. This would prove to be a serious mistake as moments later a straight right hand down the middle landed flush on the challenger’s chin and sent him down to the canvas where he was unable to beat the count. At 2:25 of round four, the fight was over in a way that so many of Inoue’s fights have ended throughout his Hall of Fame career, in a sudden and brutal fashion. 

While many expected this type of outcome for Inoue in his latest title defense given the circumstances in which the fight came to fruition, this observer feels that Inoue was not only impressive in his latest performance in his tenth consecutive knockout victory, but he also showed the ability to adapt to a change in opponent on limited notice and even conceded that due to the limited time, he did not study as much film on Kim as he would like. Given the circumstances and the champion’s candor in admitting having limited time to study his opponent before getting in the ring, his ability to seemingly adjust to what was in front of him was impressive.

Perhaps the most interesting development to come out of this fight for the champion, however, is that his co-promoter Hall of Famer Bob Arum announced to the crowd in attendance that Inoue will be returning to the United States for the first time in nearly four years for his next fight in the spring in Las Vegas, which was followed by Inoue telling the crowd that he also intends to fight in Saudi Arabia this year, which has rapidly become a hot spot in the sport as well. 

Frankly, Inoue is one of the few fighters in the sport who could stay where he is comfortable competing, which is in Japan and not only draw massive crowds wherever he fights in the country, but also per his dominance in the sport and that ability to be a massive draw both as a ticket seller and as a fighter that will draw ratings both in Japan and internationally where his fights air in the early morning hours here in the United States via streaming networks, to convince fighters from around the world to travel to Japan to face him where at least financially there is no incentive to go elsewhere. To his credit, however, Naoya Inoue realizes that Boxing is a true global entity and his wanting to not only return to the United States, but also take part in the sport’s global expansion where he will no doubt help open Boxing to new eyes should be seen as a positive both for his legacy and the sport overall. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison     

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1      

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1     

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/BeauDenison1   

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/beaudenison1.bsky.social 

Inoue-Kim Weights From Tokyo, Japan

The official weigh-in for Friday's Undisputed Jr. Featherweight world championship fight between undefeated champion Naoya Inoue and challenger Ye Joon Kim took place earlier today in Tokyo, Japan. The fight, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ will headline a card of Boxing held at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. Both champion Inoue and Kim weighed in identically just under the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight limit at 121 ¾ lbs. The bout is scheduled for twelve rounds.  As of this writing, there is no word regarding what other bouts on the card, which includes four additional bouts, will be included on the ESPN+ broadcast.

Inoue vs. Kim takes place on Friday, January 24th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+  beginning at 4:15AM ET/1:15AM PT and will be available for on demand viewing immediately following the live broadcast. 

(*Card and Start Time Subject to Change*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison      

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1      

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1      

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/BeauDenison1 

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/beaudenison1.bsky.social 

Can Inoue Adjust To A Change On Short Notice?

There is little doubt that one of the biggest stars to emerge in the sport of Boxing over the last several years, not just in the lower weight divisions, but in the entire sport has been Nayoa Inoue. If a fighter with a near 90% career knockout percentage is not enough to earn one star status in the sport on its own, Inoue is a four-division world champion, who has this far won world titles from the Jr. Flyweight to the Jr. Featherweight divisions becoming an undisputed champion in both the Bantamweight and Jr. Featherweight divisions along the way. 

A fighter that has truly carved a Hall of Fame career in just twenty-eight professional fights having fought a who's who along the way, dominating all opposition and emerging still unbeaten. While the question that typically follows a fighter like Inoue who has gone through multiple weight divisions with relative ease is how high up the weight scale before they hit the ceiling, not just in terms of how high they can go, but also doing so while still remaining competitive, Inoue is preparing to do something we have not seen him faced with before on a big stage. The Undisputed Jr. Featherweight champion of the world will defend his crown on Friday, January 24th in a familiar site, the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, site of many of his fights throughout his career. 

Inoue, however, will not be facing WBO number one Jr. Featherweight contender Sam Goodman, whom he was scheduled to face on Christmas Eve 2024 before it was postponed due to Goodman suffering a cut while in training. Despite the flight being moved to January 24th, Goodman would suffer a second cut after resuming training forcing him to withdraw for a second time. Rather than postpone a scheduled bout for a second time, Inoue will still defend his title on January 24th. In steps WBO number eleven Jr. Featherweight contender Ye Joon Kim to challenge Inoue for the Undisputed Jr. Featherweight crown in a fight that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

Although this presents a challenge for Inoue in facing an opponent change with only a few weeks notice, just who is Ye Joon Kim? A veteran of twenty-five professional fights, he has a respectable record of 21-2-2, with 13 Knockouts with a career knockout percentage just over 61%. While this suggests Kim has punching power, he is a boxer/puncher who will enter this fight having won four of his last five bouts via stoppage. The challenger, who is a native of Seoul, South Korea, who goes by the nickname “The Troublemaker," has never been stopped in his career, which in of itself is interesting given Inoue’s reputation as a "Knockout Artist” having knocked out twenty-five of his previous twenty-eight opponents.

The question for "The Troublemaker” here will be whether he will be able to deal with not only the occasion of fighting on the big stage of the sport for the first time, but also the non-stop pressure and attack of the champion known to his fans worldwide as "The Monster." While “The Troublemaker vs. The Monster" is certainly a clever promotional tagline that by circumstance fell into the promoters of this fight’s hands, it is important to keep in mind that there have been few fighters that have been able to last against Inoue and it has proven to be a difficult task to achieve in going the distance with him, let alone come close to scoring a victory over him. 

Perhaps what Kim has in his favor going into this fight beyond coming in on short notice, which is as much an adjustment for the fighter taking the bout as it is for the fighter who had a scheduled opponent fall out, is a bit of the unknown as far as what he will pose in terms of a challenge once he and the champion Inoue are in the ring. There are likely some who are expecting Inoue to for lack of a better term, steamroll through a largely unknown opponent. If Kim and his team are expecting the champion to come out with intentions of ending the fight quickly, it could work to his advantage if he is prepared to show from the outset that he will be dictating how this fight is fought and not the champion. 

Some may say that Kim needs to land someone significant early in order to get the champion's respect, but if this is a rare circumstance where Inoue is not as prepared as he normally is due to a postponement and his scheduled opponent withdrawing twice, if Kim can make things uncomfortable for the champion simply by controlling the pace and making Inoue fight at a pace that favors him more, it could indicate where his chances are to pull what would be considered an upset, especially if Inoue is not prepared to go the twelve round distance on short notice. 

Boxing is certainly a sport of opportunity and as one fighter’s opportunity has for the moment been delayed again due to injury, it now provides another with what could be the ideal opportunity to seize the day and potentially score the first upset of 2025. Whether Kim can do that remains to be seen. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Inoue vs. Kim takes place on Friday, January 24th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+  beginning at 4:15AM ET/1:15AM PT and will be available for on demand viewing immediately following the live broadcast. 

(*Card and Start Time Subject to Change*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on the following Social Media Platforms:

X: (Formerly Twitter) www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison     

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeauDenison1     

Threads: www.threads.net/@BeauDenison1     

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/BeauDenison1   

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/beaudenison1.bsky.social 

Stevenson Adds His Name To Lightweight Mix

The Lightweight debut of undefeated former two-division world champion Shakur Stevenson on April 8th was one that in some ways felt more like a formality than what one would consider a legitimate test for a fighter who has proven to be a difficult puzzle for opponents to solve. Perhaps adding to that feeling of formality was that Stevenson per his being a former unified world champion in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division, was moved immediately into an elimination bout to determine the next mandatory challenger in the World Boxing Council's (WBC) Lightweight ratings, which theoretically would put him in line to challenge the winner of the upcoming world championship bout between undefeated Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Devin Haney and former three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko, which will take place on May 20th in Las Vegas, NV.

 Formalities and what seemed designed to be a clear prelude to Stevenson challenging for a world championship in now a third weight class, was also not without its share of criticism. This was due to Stevenson's opponent, the unbeaten, but largely unknown former Japanese and Oriental Professional Boxing Federation (OPBF) Lightweight champion Shuichiro Yoshino being rated number four in the world by the WBC, despite not having faced a world rated contender prior to the bout. The OPBF's affiliation with the WBC did nevertheless, provide Yoshino an opportunity to show what he could do on a significant stage against one of the top stars in the sport.

Stevenson's hometown of Newark, NJ and the Prudential Center would be the site for the bout. In previewing this bout, this observer stated that Yoshino was a fighter that liked to come forward and throw punches in bursts. Yoshino proved to be true to form because that would be the approach he would attempt against Stevenson from the outset by coming forward and trying to apply pressure on him, while also trying to back the former world champion up and go to his body.

While Yoshino succeeded in showing that he came to fight, it would not be long before Stevenson would turn the outcome of this fight into, you guessed it dear reader, "A Formality." After taking a round to study his opponent, Stevenson began to open up with offense. As I also stated prior to this fight, Yoshino did tend to throw looping punches, and as it would turn out, the technical flaw that Yoshino had shown in previous bouts, was something that a slick boxer like Shakur Stevenson was able to recognize and exploit.

In the second round, Stevenson would score the first of what became two knockdowns when he connected with a flush counter left hook to the head. This would be followed in round four when Stevenson dropped Yoshino for a second time with a left hook to the body. Although Stevenson is not known for his punching power, the only thought that I had as I watched this fight as it became clear that Stevenson on this night was against a fighter that though very "Game," was overmatched, and likely too brave for his own good, was simply how long the fight would be allowed to go on.

To be honest with the reader, I felt that if Stevenson wanted to press the issue a bit more than he did, the fight probably could have been stopped in the fourth round. After taking a consistent beating for five rounds, Yoshino would be protected from himself as the fight was mercifully stopped in round six.

Although it did not take long for this fight to become a competitive mismatch, no one can take anything away from the bravery that Shuichiro Yoshino showed in what was his first fight in the United States. Unfortunately for Yoshino, he was simply against a superior fighter and he should hold his hand high for the valiant effort he put forth in defeat. Yoshino gave it everything he had and at the end of the day, win or lose that is really all you can ask of a fighter.

As for Shakur Stevenson, it is logical to assume with this fight now in his rearview, what was the twentieth win of his career, likely secured him a ringside seat to witness the highly anticipated Haney-Lomachenko world championship bout in Las Vegas on May 20th and there is no doubt in my mind that if indeed Stevenson does attend the bout between Haney and Lomachenko, that he will likely call out the winner shortly after the fight concludes. The question coming out of his victory over Yoshino however, should be whether or not this was a glimpse of a Shakur Stevenson that now as a 135lb. Lightweight will try to sit on his punches more and attempt to score more knockouts as he was able to do here, which has not always been the case in either the 126lb. Featherweight or 130lb. Jr. Lightweight divisions. For a fighter that has been labeled as one to avoid by some, if Stevenson has decided to try to score more knockouts into an already immaculate skillset, he may have just become even more dangerous.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Inoue Toys With Butler And Becomes Undisputed

Undefeated IBF/WBA/WBC Bantamweight world champion Nayoya Inoue can officially call himself the Undisputed Bantamweight champion of the world after scoring a one-sided eleventh round knockout of WBO World Bantamweight champion Paul Butler on Tuesday night at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. From the opening bell it was clear who was the superior fighter as Inoue frequently backed Butler against the ropes and teed off with vicious combinations to the body and head of the WBO champion.

Although Butler appeared to have the fight plan of keeping a high defensive guard and attempting to use lateral movement against the pressure of Inoue, he did not let his hands go with consistency and was seemingly content to only throw punches occasionally in a clear show of respect for Inoue’s power. The action inside the ring or frankly lack thereof and mostly one way offense by Inoue eventually resulted in Inoue dropping his hands, shuffling his feat, and even putting his arms behind his back in an attempt to goad Butler to let his hands go. Butler did not fall prey to Inoue’s baiting tactics, but at no point did he appear to make a decision to fight as he continued to lose every round on the scorecards.

While Inoue appeared to be heading towards a shut out win on the scorecards if the bout went the full twelve round world championship distance, the gradually effects of all the punishment he had dishes out eventually caught up with Butler. A four punch combination to the head and body, highlighted by a left hook to the body put Butler down midway through the eleventh round. Butler appeared to be trying to get up from the knockdown, but rolled over on his back in pain as the ten count was concluded making Nayoya Inoue the first Undisputed Bantamweight champion of the world in the modern era in the history of Boxing.

Ultimately, this fight will go down in history both for the rarity in that it did not take years to bring the fight together as after he won the WBO Bantamweight world championship earlier this year, Paul Butler expressed his desire to face Inoue for the undisputed crown as soon as the fight could be made. While refreshing to see and throwing into the equation that a fight of this magnitude was held during a weekday, likely due to the bout’s location, and broadcast in the early morning hours to be seen live here in the United States by digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ makes Inoue-Butler one of the more unique events in the history of the sport simply because it went against many of the norms that Boxing is both known and at times criticized for in terms of how quickly the fight was made.

As refreshing as that was however, the fight itself was a disappointment from the standpoint of one fighter perhaps being overwhelmed by the occasion not taking the chance to make a fight of it in what will probably be the biggest bout of his career and seemingly appeared content to try and go the distance with a fighter in Nayoya Inoue, who after becoming the Undisputed Bantamweight champion of the world and having won world championships in two divisions prior to becoming Bantamweight world champion and going on to fully unify the division, will likely go down as one of the greatest boxers in Japanese Boxing history. While it is indeed a major accomplishment, Inoue might vacate the Undisputed Bantamweight championship to move up in weight from the 118lb. Bantamweight division to the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight division in 2023.

Although Inoue’s victory over Paul Butler to become Undisputed Bantamweight champion of the world will not be remembered for being an all-time classic, it will nevertheless be a chapter in the story of what may go down as an all-time great fighter and future Hall of Famer. The next chapter in the career of Nayoya Inoue now awaits. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison