Looking At Japan’s Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue!

Let’s look at Japan’s four-division world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue, who is the current IBF, WBC, and WBO world Super Bantamweight champion and possibly the pound-for-pound best in the world.

Inoue’s amateur record was 75-6 before turning professional in May of 2012, knocking out the Philippines Crison ‘No Surrender’ Omayao, 16-4-1, in four rounds of a scheduled eight rounds.

In his fourth fight, he won the Japanese Light Flyweight title defeating Ryoichi Taguchi, 18-1-1. In his fifth fight, he won the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation’s vacant Light Flyweight title, stopping the Philippines’ Jerson ‘Smooth Operator’ Mancio, 18-3-3, in five rounds.

In April of 2014, Inoue won his first world title when he stopped Mexico’s WBC World Light Flyweight champion Adrian ‘Big Bang’ Hernandez, 29-2-1, in six rounds in his sixth fight. He made a defense of the title.

In December, he moved up, winning his second division world title, knocking out Argentina’s WBO World Super Flyweight champion Omar ‘El Huracan’ Narvaez, 43-1-2, in two rounds. He made seven title defenses.

In May of 2019, he won his third division world title, knocking out IBF World Bantamweight champion Puerto Rico’s Manny Rodriguez, 19-0, in two rounds.

In June of 2022, he added the WBC World Bantamweight title, stopping Nonito Donaire, 42-6, in two rounds.

In December, he added the WBO World Bantamweight title, knocking out Paul ‘Baby Face Assassin’ Butler, 34-2, in eleven rounds in his sixth defense at bantamweight.

In July of 2023, he moved up and stopped WBC and WBO Super Bantamweight champion Philadelphia’s Stephen ‘Scooter’ Fulton, 21-0, in 8 rounds, winning his fourth division world title.

He added the IBF title in his next fight, knocking out the Philippines’ Marlon ‘Nightmare’ Tapales, 37-3, in ten rounds.

In his fourth defense in May of 2025, he stopped San Antonio’s Ramon ‘Dinimita’ Cardenas, 26-1, in eight rounds. He improved his record to 30-0 with 27 stoppages and 19 overall title defenses. At age 32 he has fought four times in the USA, once in the UK, and twenty-five times in Japan.