The plaudits, and the awards, keep rolling in for Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue. The 30 year old picked up the 2023 Fighter of the Year Award from numerous publications and websites, this deservedly, and now it has been reported that “The Monster” has been awarded the coveted Sugar Ray Robinson Award from the Boxing Writer’s Association of America, with Inoue being their Fighter of the Year.
As reported by The Japan Times, Inoue, 26-0(23) and a four-division champion, currently the unified ruler at super-bantamweight, is the first Japanese boxer to receive the Sugar Ray Robinson Award; this one of the most prestigious awards any fighter can aspire to win. Inoue is thrilled by the news.
“I only fought two bouts in Japan last year, but it’s an honour to be recognized by boxing journalists around the world,” Inoue said in an official statement. “The head of the Boxing Writers Association contacted me to tell me I had won. I understand the association has a 98-year history, and I feel the size and gravity receiving this award. I want to take on 2024 as diligently as I can.”
As special as Inoue has already proven himself to be, hands down, there could be yet more greatness achieved by this quite incredible fighting machine. Next up for “The Monster” will be, we think, Luis Nery, likely in Japan in May. Nery is a good, strong and gutsy fighter, but can he, or any man at 122 pounds, beat Inoue? Most experts think not, hence the pressure, unfair as it may be, for Inoue to go up even higher in weight.
Inoue, however, will not be pushed into doing anything he feels his body is not capable of doing, and it could be that Inoue stays at 122 pounds for the next few months, maybe the full year, before he perhaps makes the move up to featherweight. Some experts feel the only way Inoue will ever lose a fight is if he makes the mistake of going up too far in weight, or if age catches up with him.
For now, Inoue looks untouchable, and he is the pound-for-pound #1 in the opinion of many. How much room has Inoue got left in his trophy cabinet now that he has won The Sugar Ray Robinson Award!?
Other notable ring warriors to have been bestowed with the honour include: Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano and Manny Pacquiao. Inoue is in great company, and he fully deserves to be there.