Naoya Inoue’s Wasted Year

In light of how great he is, or perhaps that should read, how great he could be (and maybe will become), bantamweight destroyer Naoya Inoue, AKA “The Monster,” has had a very poor year here in 2021.

With just one fight done, and another set to go tomorrow, this against arguably the biggest world title fight underdog of the year, Aran Dipaen, Inoue has basically had a wasted year.

Certainly, when we compare Inoue’s previous big years of 2018 and 2019 when he fought just twice in each of those years but impressed the hell out of us by wiping out class operators, Jamie McDonnell (1 round) and Juan Carlos Payno (1 round), and Emmanuel Rodriguez (two rounds) and Nonito Donaire (W12 in a modern-day classic), Inoue has been a big disappointment this year.

Inoue is a mega-star in Japan, but he should be equally celebrated elsewhere. He isn’t, not yet (tomorrow’s fight/mismatch with Dipaen, 12-2(11) but never having faced a single opponent of note, barring, perhaps, Tommy Frank, has not, at time of writing, been picked up by any U.S TV network). Inoue has to have a far, far bigger, far, far testing 2022, his talents deserve no less, and neither do his fans.

Inoue is placed on most pound-for-pound lists, and his overall body of work makes him entitled to be so lauded. Yet nothing Inoue has done this year ranks alongside his fellow P-4-P rivals’ achievements of the year.

Consider how busy Canelo has been this year, and while Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk had just one fight each this year, they sure made them count – “Bud” seeing off his career biggest test in Shawn Porter, and Usyk beating Anthony Joshua to take three belts at heavyweight.

Inoue has barely broken a sweat this year (and tomorrow’s fight/mismatch will do well to last three minutes, unless Inoue is in a jolly mood and he is willing to carry Dipaen). Again, Inoue HAS to make amends next year. There are some great, or potentially great fights out there for “The Monster” to get his teeth into: Donaire in a return fight, John Riel Casimero in a unification, maybe even a move up to super-bantamweight.

At age 28, Inoue has plenty of time to achieve true greatness, but it is somewhat baffling why a peaking fighter wastes a full calendar year. Maybe Inoue has had trouble getting the big fights, maybe he has been avoided by the big names this year. But Inoue’s rival pound-for-pounders have managed to get the big fights, so who knows?

Inoue is one of the most exciting, most gifted fighters out there today. He deserved better this year. As did his many fans. Let’s hope Inoue gets at the very least two big fights in next year, maybe three. Fans love watching Inoue go to work and they have been pretty much starved this year.