Inoue Dominates Kim with Fourth-Round Knockout in Tokyo

No matter the challenger, Naoya Inoue, the pound-for-pound sensation, always delivers. The undisputed super bantamweight champion showcased his incredible skills once again, knocking out late replacement Ye Joon Kim in the fourth round on Friday in front of a packed crowd at Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) continued his remarkable run, even against an unexpected opponent in Kim, who stepped in on less than two weeks' notice after Sam Goodman, the original opponent, suffered a sparring injury. With this victory, Inoue has now won all 24 of his world title fights—a streak that began in 2014 when he defeated WBC light flyweight champion Adrian Hernandez. Inoue’s third defense of his undisputed 122-pound title was yet another reminder of why he’s considered one of the best in boxing.

After a measured first round, Inoue found his rhythm in the second, landing his powerful right hand with precision. By the third round, "The Monster" was wearing Kim down with punishing body shots, setting the stage for a dramatic finish in the fourth. A brutal body blow stunned Kim, and Inoue capitalized with a right hand over his guard, sending him to the canvas for the knockout.

"My new opponent accepted the fight just 10 days before the match. I feel a lot of love from everyone, and I appreciate it," Inoue shared. "Overall, I think it was a good fight. I didn't have enough time to study my opponent, so I focused on reacting to what he brought."

Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum praised Inoue’s performance, saying, "Another incredible showing by our champion. Japan has already given us Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles, and for at least one fight, Japan will also offer Inoue to Las Vegas this spring."

In the co-feature, welterweight contender Jin Sasaki (19-1-1, 17 KOs) successfully defended his WBO Asia Pacific and OPBF titles with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3, 15 KOs), extending his unbeaten streak to nine. The judges scored it 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112 in Sasaki’s favor.