The buzz and mark that Naoya Inoue is having on the sport of boxing is indelible. His legacy and eventual placement in the Hall of Fame is already cemented but the Japanese star is beginning to rewrite the history books.
This past Tuesday morning, at the Ariake Arena in Koto-Ku Japan, Inoue steamrolled Stephen Fulton, stopping the slick-hitting former super bantamweight champion in the eighth round of their showdown. At this point, Inoue is running out of options. With his road to becoming an undisputed champion halfway complete at 122 pounds, Inoue could be on the hunt for his next big challenge.
There are no clear-cut threats to his pound-for-pound supremacy just yet so Freddie Roach, the Hall of Fame trainer, wants to get a bit creative with Inoue’s matchmaking. For years now, Roach worked side by side with another historically great fighter, Manny Pacquiao.
The glory days they shared with one another appeared all but over with following his defeat at the hands of Yordenis Ugas in 2021. Shortly after the unexpected results, Pacquiao waved goodbye to his adoring fans and hung up his gloves. Although he’s flirted with the idea of returning, his boxing trunks have remained on the sidelines.
The thought of facing Inoue, however, is becoming more and more appetizing to team Pacquiao. All of it is just wishful thinking at this stage, but according to Roach, he believes that it has the potential to become a reality.
“I would like to see it,” Roach told FightHype.com when asked about a potential matchup between Pacquiao and Inoue. “I think Pacquiao could still get ready for that.”
Before fans get a bit too excited, there are a few issues that prevent it from becoming a pragmatic clash. For starters, Pacquiao is still enjoying his retirement. More importantly, the 44-year-old fought the last 12-plus years of his career in or around the welterweight division. The smaller Inoue is still attempting to get comfortable at 122 pounds.
Pacquiao is no stranger when it comes to melting away body fat in order to make weight. With that said, Roach believes that it would be an absurd demand if team Inoue requested that Pacquiao move down to a weight class that he hasn’t fought in since 2003.
If negotiations ultimately take place, Roach makes it clear that both Inoue and Pacquiao will have to be willing to make a few weight concessions.
“He’d have to move up a little bit, 135.”
By Hans Themistode