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Japan’s Naoya Inoue announced her promotion to boxing’s super bantamweight division on Friday and is once again the undisputed world champion a month after claiming all bantamweight titles.
The undefeated Inoue, nicknamed “The Monster”, became the first undisputed world bantamweight champion in half a century when he defeated England’s Paul Butler in December to add the WBO title to his WBC, On WBA and IBF belts.
He said he has decided to relinquish his title and take on a new challenge in the super bantamweight division, and is in talks for his next fight.
Inoue, 29, who is 24-0 with 21 knockouts, said he was moving up a weight class because “there’s nothing to do and nobody I want to fight” in the bantamweight division.
“It will be a challenge against someone bigger than me, but it’s a real fight,” said Inoue, a former light-flyweight and super-flyweight world champion.
“I’m really excited.”
Inoue knocked out Butler in an 11th round in Tokyo to become the first undisputed bantamweight world champion since Panama’s Enrique Pinder in 1972.
He also became the ninth undisputed world champion and the first at bantamweight since the four-belt era began in 2004.
No one has achieved that in more than one heavyweight division, but Inoue believes he can write a new chapter in boxing history.
“Even if I move up to super bantamweight, I still want to be the undisputed champion,” he said.
“To be the undisputed champion in both weight classes would be a world number one and an amazing achievement, and that’s what I want to pursue.”
– ‘The Final Chapter’ –
Inoue and his team won’t be intrigued by the identity of his next potential opponent, but he says he’s open to taking on a top fighter right away.
Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev is the current WBA and IBF world super bantamweight champion, while American Stephen Fulton holds the WBC and WBO belts.
Inoue said “there’s a lot of talent at super bantamweight” and he’s willing to bide his time to reach the top.
“It took me four years and eight months to break into bantamweight, and I think it might take as much time as super bantamweight,” said Inoue, who said he intends to retire at 35.
“I think it’s fair to say that super bantamweight will be my final chapter.”
Inoue’s younger brother, Takuma, is also a professional boxer and a former WBC interim bantamweight world champion.
The elder Inoue said he would like to see his brother challenge for one of his former belts once he frees them up.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to have both of us become world champions,” he said.
“I’m relinquishing my title and moving up to super bantamweight, a goal I think can become a reality in the near future.”
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