Comments Thread For: Why Naoya Inoue should think twice about rising too high

[Theshotyoudontsee]

Inoue is a bad dude. The issue his mega fans have is at the lower weights the comp is not the same and with Inoue's obvious incredible natural power, he may be a guy who can compete at a much higher weight. But.

At his age and build though, he probably won't go past 130 and so he will never make the case. As for me, I just enjoy watching him stop guys and appreciate what he brings to the sport. His mega fans seem to think that he needs defenders and that he is the best fighter of all time based on him unifying in light punching divisions. He really doesn't.

[Theshotyoudontsee]

Are you a idiot or what. Every hardcore boxing fans know that Lowerweight fighters are more skilled as they don't have the power to hide the lack of skill like higher weight fighters do.

Name calling points to sensitivity and unsureness, obviously. I have never seen more hardcore copium than you display. It is breathtaking.

So serious question. If Nakatani stops Inoue at some point, will you fall apart? Or are you Japanese and will just switch guys?

[famicommander]

Strange, I don’t recall the same warnings for mayweather, jones, or Pacquiao. Seems to be a concerted effort to protect this fighter from losing

122 is already his 5th weight class. Floyd fought in 5 weight classes in his career.

[steeve steel]

126 or 130 max. I would say. Higher than that, he will really struggle against even mediocre opposition who will outweigh him by 20 pounds or more on fight night.

[Theshotyoudontsee]

Lol you really are an idiot. Nakatani gets stopped inside 6 by inoue.

You literally sound like a handicapped 12 year old. I don't mean that as an insult, I mean literally. I feel bad for you.

[Elheath]

Those who cite Pacquiao as an example of division hopping needs to stop using his flyweight as a point of how someone who started in a low weight making all the way up to welter because frankly, he is far more closer to someone who started in superbantam weight that made it up to welter and above than an actual flyweight that made it up to what he made. Don't get me wrong I'm not taking away Pacquiao's credit from flyweight or anything and his belt he won is legit, but his career starting out like that was a total anomaly, and the fact that in one year he went from flyweight to superbantam within one year of winning flyweight tells you that he was an immensely talented boxer who was extremely also malnutritioned as a young impoverished teenager who had a major weight jump within months of winning a belt. In this day and age, not just Inoue but you are not going to get anyone living in a first world country be allowed to fight like that without having child neglect thrown on you.

Pacquiao's division changes in a nutshell:
Jan 22, 1995: Debut at flyweight, age 16
Dec 4, 1998: Won first world belt (WBC flyweight) at flyweight, age 19
Sep 17, 1999: Lost his belt due to missing weight at flyweight, age 20
Dec 18, 1999: First fight at super bantamweight, age 21 (less than 13 month after winning a belt at flyweight)
Nov 15, 2003: First fight at featherweight, age 24
Mar 19, 2005: First fight at super featherweight, age 26
Jun 28, 2008: First fight at lightweight, age 29
May 2, 2009: First fight at light welterweight, age 30
Nov 14, 2009: First fight at welterweight, age 30
July 23, 2010: First fight for super welterweight belt (however at a catchweight 150 lbs and his only fight above welter), age 31
May 7, 2011: Back to welterweight and stayed until "retirement", age 32 on

When you look at his career trajectory, if you consider his anomaly of flyweight, it is more believable if you were to consider a boxer who pro-debut at superbantam (122) at age 21 spent his 20s going up each division taking a few years each until he reached lightweight (135) at age 29, going up 12 lbs = approximately 10% of your starting division weight in 8 years. Then, at age 30 for some unknown reason (perhaps because the money fights were all there and he could afford to do catchweights?), decided to make another 12 lbs jump with an one match stepping stone in between at 140 in between to welterweight (147), where he stayed there for the rest of his career with the exception of a catchweight with a division above. In other words, 6 main divisions fought with 1 division below (flyweight) and above (super welter at catchweight). It is still extremely impressive and one of the most glorious careers in the history of boxing no doubt. However realistically impossible to use as a valid proof that any healthy professional boxer starting out at fly/jr fly can/should be able to make welterweight and more is reaching.

[Elheath]

For comparison sake, Inoue won his first world title at light flyweight at age 20 .
His first fight at his second division was at super flyweight at age 21.
His first fight at his third division was at bantamweight at age 25.
His first fight at his fourth division was at super bantamweight at age 30.
His first fight at his fifth division at featherweight is likely to be at age 32/33 in 2026? and likely his last real division where he'll fight long term.
Only IF he decides to go for one more division (a BIG if) at super feather, it will be likely his final fight of his career just for one attempt at a belt, possibly around 2029?
If not for COVID, there is a good chance he would've gone up to superbantam a year or two early which could've fastened the rest a bit and made super feather more realistic but that is a different cup of spilled milk.

And just for reference, Nakatani's trajectory:
Won his first world title at flyweight at age 22.
His first fight at his second division was at super flyweight at age 24.
His first fight at his third division (current) was at bantamweight at 26.
If a dream fight with Inoue were to occur next year 2025 that would put him on his fourth division, super bantamweight at age 27, where he'll likely stay for a good few years regardless of the result of the fight.
Given that he's taller and will be reaching superbantam at a younger age than Inoue did, he has the physical potential to be able to actually reach superfeather and stay for a while, with a slight chance at lightweight?

[famicommander]

For comparison sake, Inoue won his first world title at light flyweight at age 20 .
His first fight at his second division was at super flyweight at age 21.
His first fight at his third division was at bantamweight at age 25.
His first fight at his fourth division was at super bantamweight at age 30.
His first fight at his fifth division at featherweight is likely to be at age 32/33 in 2026? and likely his last real division where he'll fight long term.
Only IF he decides to go for one more division (a BIG if) at super feather, it will be likely his final fight of his career just for one attempt at a belt, possibly around 2029?
If not for COVID, there is a good chance he would've gone up to superbantam a year or two early which could've fastened the rest a bit and made super feather more realistic but that is a different cup of spilled milk.

And just for reference, Nakatani's trajectory:
Won his first world title at flyweight at age 22.
His first fight at his second division was at super flyweight at age 24.
His first fight at his third division (current) was at bantamweight at 26.
If a dream fight with Inoue were to occur next year 2025 that would put him on his fourth division, super bantamweight at age 27, where he'll likely stay for a good few years regardless of the result of the fight.
Given that he's taller and will be reaching superbantam at a younger age than Inoue did, he has the physical potential to be able to actually reach superfeather and stay for a while, with a slight chance at lightweight?

Inoue fought twice at flyweight as well. In his second pro fight he weighed in at 110, in his third pro fight it was 110.25. They were catchweights under the maximum limit, but they were above the light flyweight limit.

122 is his 5th weight class. 126 will be his 6th.

[Oldskoolg]

122 is already his 5th weight class. Floyd fought in 5 weight classes in his career.

And manny?

[_Rexy_]

Strange, I don’t recall the same warnings for mayweather, jones, or Pacquiao. Seems to be a concerted effort to protect this fighter from losing

You want to see Inoue go after the weakest champ in every division at a BS catchweight, cool. I have zero interest in that.