Naoya Inoue is scheduled to defend his title in the super bantamweight division against his IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs) on December 24th in Tokyo, Japan.
Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) will be staying at 122 pounds for his match against Goodman and has plans to potentially face bantamweight boxer Junto Nakatani in April 2025 at the Tokyo Dome. Nakatani, who currently holds the WBC 118-pound title, will be defending his title on the same fight card as Inoue vs. Goodman, setting up the stage for a possible clash in April.
The fight between Inoue and Nakatani is highly anticipated in Japan and among hardcore boxing fans in the U.S., despite both fighters not being widely known among casual enthusiasts in the States.
There are concerns regarding Inoue’s move up to featherweight, with some worried about his ability to compete against skilled opponents in that weight class such as Bruce Carrington, Rafael Espinoza, Angelo Leo, and Nick Ball.
In his recent bout against TJ Doheny, Inoue’s performance raised questions about his readiness to move up in weight class, as he faced challenges in throwing combinations and his punching power seemed less effective in the super bantamweight category. Nevertheless, Inoue appears determined to continue winning and extend his career, showing an understanding of his own limitations.
