Naoya Inoue has been crowned the new pound-for-pound king by Ring Magazine, replacing Terence Crawford at the top spot. This decision has sparked debates as some believe Inoue has not yet proven himself against the caliber of opponents faced by fighters like Crawford.
Ring Magazine was impressed by Inoue’s remarkable win over Luis Nery, bouncing back from a first-round knockdown to secure a sixth-round knockout. However, critics argue that Crawford’s victories against higher-quality opponents should keep him as the rightful leader of the pound-for-pound rankings.
The current Ring Magazine pound-for-pound rankings stand as follows:
- Naoya Inoue
- Terence Crawford
- Oleksandr Usyk
- Canelo Alvarez
- Artur Beterbiev
- Dmitry Bivol
- Errol Spence
- Gervonta Davis
- Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez
- Junto Nakatani
To cement his status as the top pound-for-pound fighter, fans suggest that Inoue should take on Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis for his WBA ‘regular’ lightweight title. Venturing into a higher weight class would present Inoue with tougher opponents and allow him to showcase his skills.
Critics highlight that Inoue’s recent adversaries, which include Luis Nery, Nonito Donaire, Paul Butler, Marlon Tapales, Stephen Fulton, Aran Dipaen, and Michael Dasmariñas, may not fully validate his claim to the #1 pound-for-pound spot. They recommend that Inoue contemplate moving up to featherweight to face more formidable challengers.
Inoue’s reluctance to test himself in higher weight divisions has sparked concerns about his willingness to take risks. Opting to stay in the super bantamweight category where he feels at ease could be perceived as avoiding potential defeats that might arise from confronting stronger opponents.
