Bob Arum, the legendary boxing promoter, says Naoya Inoue is the best fighter he's ever seen. That's a big deal coming from a guy who's been in the boxing business for over 60 years.
Arum has worked with some of the biggest names in boxing history. He's promoted Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Marvin Hagler, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and many more. But now, at 92 years old, he's putting Inoue above them all.
In an interview with Jai McAllister, Arum didn't hold back his praise:
"He is not only pound-for-pound the best in the world, Inoue is the best fighter I have ever seen, no matter the what weight category. In over 60 years in boxing, I have never seen anything like Inoue."
Arum doubled down on his praise in a chat with Boxing Scene:
"It's scary with what I am seeing. He overwhelms really good opponents. I've never seen a fighter of that size perform the way he has."
He even compared Inoue to a baseball superstar:
"What we're seeing in Inoue is something that is really special. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He's as special to boxing to what [Japanese star] Shohei Ohtani is to baseball. We're honoured to be playing a part in his career."
So, who is this guy that's got Arum so excited? Naoya Inoue is a Japanese boxer who's been tearing through the lighter weight classes. He's won world titles in four different weight classes and is currently the undisputed champion at 122 pounds. That means he holds all four major belts in that division.
Inoue's record is pretty impressive. He's fought 27 times and won all 27 fights. Even more impressive is that he's knocked out 24 of those opponents. That's a crazy high knockout rate for a smaller fighter.
He's beaten some tough opponents too. Guys like Nonito Donaire, Stephen Fulton, Omar Andres Narvaez, and Emmanuel Rodriguez have all fallen to Inoue.
Next month, Inoue will defend his undisputed status at 122 pounds against TJ Doheny. If he keeps winning and impressing like he has been, who knows? Maybe more people will start agreeing with Bob Arum's big claim.
