NAOYA INOUE could possibly be the following excessive profile boxer to battle within the Center East.
Based on Yahoo Sports activities Japan the undisputed super-bantamweight champion has signed a profitable sponsorship take care of Riyadh Season.
Figures of between £15m and £20m are circling on-line however the settlement doesn’t essentially assure that Prime Rank’s Japanese famous person will battle in Saudi Arabia.
Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are the standout names to have fought on Riyadh Season occasions. Inoue’s subsequent bout takes place on Christmas Eve in Tokyo towards Australian Sam Goodman. Ought to the phenom retain his undisputed crown he might determine to maneuver as much as featherweight. As issues stand the 4 world champions at 130lbs are Rafael Espinoza (WBO), Angelo Leo (IBF), Brandon Figueroa (WBC) and Nick Ball (WBA). The latter has fought twice in Riyadh this yr leading to a break up draw towards Rey Vargas earlier than beating Raymond Ford to take the WBA belt.
Ball is promoted by Queensberry who’re concerned in a partnership with Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh. Connecting the dots might result in a battle between Ball and Inoue in 2025.
On Instagram as we speak Alalshikh posted photographs of Inoue shadow boxing, an image of the 2 collectively (with Inoue sporting a Riyadh Season t-shirt) and Inoue sat at a desk. Elsewhere on social media a picture of Alalshikh and Inoue holding signed paperwork has additionally surfaced.
“I feel it’s all about timing,” Inoue mentioned in quotes attributed to Yahoo Sports activities Japan.
“This yr’s battle has been determined. I don’t know what’s going to occur subsequent yr. If I can battle in Saudi Arabia, I’ll simply dwell as much as these expectations. I feel I’ll simply carry out the best way I do in Japan.”
Inoue, who’s unbeaten in 28 fights, has been boxing for world titles since his sixth bout. On April 6, 2014 ‘The Monster’ gained his first world title beating Adrian Hernandez by sixth spherical stoppage to turn out to be WBC Gentle-Flyweight champion. Inoue went on to win a world title at super-flyweight after which undisputed bantamweight champion in December 2022. The pound-for-pound star would repeat the feat at super-bantamweight in July 2023.
Alalshikh will undoubtedly do the whole lot he can to convey Inoue to Saudi Arabia.
“Inoue is one of the best and strongest boxer of all time. He has an important curiosity in Japan and the Japanese market. I hope he will probably be a great and essential ambassador for Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Season.”
