Naoya Inoue’s Choice to Fight in Japan Continues to Help Boxing

Having conquered the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, now the undisputed super bantamweight king, Naoya Inoue rightfully stands as the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world. The Monster, now 30 years old, continues to stay active and is happy to take on any challenge that comes his way, but importantly, he’s putting on his shows in Japan. For the longest time, champions have been required to put their belts on the line in the United States, which is great for American fight fans, but perhaps not so much for the global audience. Boxing can be enjoyed in every corner of the world, and a pugilist like Inoue keeping the action in Asia will only help its profile.

Making boxing more accessible

Boxing is still a global phenomenon that garners interest all around the world, as are its leading names. Its popularity has led to references well beyond the ring, from Hollywood movies and music to online casino gaming. According to expert online casino reviews, the platform recognised as Asia's top-rated hosts 'Let's Get Ready to Rumble.' This boxing-themed slot game, featuring the renowned master of ceremonies Michael Buffer, is just one of the hundreds of slot games available there.

The boxing slot's presence and popularity prove the sport's rampant fandom in Asia, giving people a different way to enjoy the sport. However, local major boxing shows are the truest test of fan engagement and it's great to see their success driving accessibility in other locations outside of America.

For example, in the UK, there’s been an ever-increasing resurgence of interest since the 2012 Olympics, but when its leading heavyweights had fights in the US, the venues stuck to the usual late-night events, meaning that to watch live, fans had to wait until 3 am or later. When those fights are put on in Japan, they go live at around 1 pm. More venue variety helps to bring the biggest fight nights to different audiences, which is only a good thing.

Inoue helping to make Japan a huge draw

Naoya Inoue will be putting his belts and undisputed title on the line against Luis Nery on 6 May in Tokyo. It’s a huge event for that billing alone, but such is the power of Inoue and his draw in Japan that it’s drawn in several other title fights. Jason Moloney was set to put his WBO World bantamweight strap on the line in his native Australia a week later but opted to go on the undercard of Inoue’s rumble.

This will be Inoue’s sixth consecutive battle in Japan, with his last outing outside of Japan coming on 19 June 2021 in Nevada. It will be his first defence as the undisputed super bantamweight king and one of what’s intended to be a three-fight year. After Nery, it’ll be a date in September and then December, which might be The Monster’s final fights at bantamweight before stepping into the featherweight ranks.

In any case, Inoue is one of the biggest draws in boxing and continues to fight the best of the best, and by fighting in Japan, he’s raising the profile and accessibility of the sport in the continents that lie beyond the Americas.