Boxing
Naoya Inoue’s Next Fight Sees The Undisputed Super-Bantamweight King Face Sam Goodman On Christmas Eve In Tokyo
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Naoya Inoue’s next fight is a pressing topic of conversation already, with names such as Nick Ball, Junto Nakatani and Murodjon Akhmadaliev all being throw about as potential opponents for Inoue next. That is after his next fight on Christmas Eve against Sam Goodman in Tokyo.
Naoya Inoue Next Fight: ‘Monster’ Takes On Sam Goodman In Japan On Christmas Eve
Although his last fight was at the beginning of September, boxing fans are already talking about Naoya Inoue’s next fight and who they want to see the ‘Monster’ in the ring with next.
Inoue is the undisputed world super-bantamweight champion, as well as being a four-weight world champion and pound-for-pound superstar too. The Japanese fighter extended his boxing record to 28-0 against TJ Doheny, including winning 25 of these fights via stoppage.
Now, there is even more talk and conversation about Inoue’s next fight, which has now been confirmed for December. The man standing opposite Inoue in December will be undefeated Australian fighter Sam Goodman. The bout is set for the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Christmas Eve (December 24th).
Inoue has beaten all comers at 122-pounds now, with boxing fans calling for the 31-year-old to move up another weight class to featherweight in an attempt to become a five-division world champion. That could be on the cards for Inoue, but not for his next fight.
Top Rank kingpin Bob Arum previously hinted that Naoya Inoue’s next fight would likely be at super-bantamweight again, which it evidently is on Christmas Eve against Goodman.
Some fans have criticised Inoue’s next fight and the opponent, with many preferring the Murodjon Akhmadaliev fight instead of Goodman. However, the 19-0 fighter is mandatory for the IBF title, hence why Inoue is defending all four of his belts against the Aussie next.
Could Inoue’s Next Fight After Goodman Be Against Junto Nakatani or Nick Ball?
Names such as Junto Nakatani, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Nick Ball have been throw about as potential opponents for Naoya Inoue’s next fight after Sam Goodman. Time will tell whether this is the case or not, but it seems they are the three most obvious options for Inoue in 2025.
Nick Ball, the WBA world featherweight champion from Liverpool, is one of the smallest champions at 126-pounds. In fact, Inoue is actually taller than Ball, which is why a fight between the pair could make sense if Inoue was to move up to featherweight next year.
The Murodjon Akhmadaliev fight has also been talked about for a long time, which is another option for the undefeated Japanese fighter if he is to remain at 122-pounds.
Another fight that could be on the cards next for Inoue if it isn’t Akhmadaliev or Ball could be fellow Japanese fighter Junto Nakatani. Should this fight happen, the best boxing betting sites in the UK would find it hard to split them, with both fighters undefeated and devastating punchers.
Inoue vs Nakatani would certainly be the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history if it were to happen, so time will tell whether or not it actually takes place.
Saudi Arabia boxing chief, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, has also spoken of his desire to stage events with Naoya Inoue. The pair met in early October, so that could be a link up fans can expect to see in the future, with Inoue perhaps headlining a Riyadh Season card in 2025.
Be sure to claim the various boxing betting offers and free bet deals available on the SportsCasting site ahead of Naoya Inoue’s next fight.