• Xenforo is upgrading us to version 2.3.7 on Tuesday Aug 19, 2025 at 01:00 AM BST (date has been pushed). This upgrade includes several security fixes among other improvements. Expect a temporary downtime during this process. More info here

News Monster Inoue vs Ye Joom Kim - January 24th Japan

"P4P no.1" fighting someone with 8 KOs. We'll hear how he's undefeated and how this is a great fight.
 
I never like the "mandatory" excuse because we know well how much that unbreakable rule becomes breakable when money makes sense, all of a sudden there are "special circumstances" where a fighter gets to keep his belt for 999 years until a bigger fight is made (or if the organization doesn't want their star to drop their belt)

But in this case, I don't mind Inoue taking a breather, the dude has earned it and we know what his end-game plans are, we'll get bigger and better fights from him.
 
I'd say Goodman in September, gives Nakatani enough time to unify with one of the other BW champs, maybe even on the same card, and then Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani late December in possibly the biggest all-Japanese world title fight in history.
 
I never like the "mandatory" excuse because we know well how much that unbreakable rule becomes breakable when money makes sense, all of a sudden there are "special circumstances" where a fighter gets to keep his belt for 999 years until a bigger fight is made (or if the organization doesn't want their star to drop their belt)

But in this case, I don't mind Inoue taking a breather, the dude has earned it and we know what his end-game plans are, we'll get bigger and better fights from him.
Mandatory challengers deserve their shot. Otherwise there's no point to any ranking system at all.
 
Its a mandatory defense. You'd probably be saying Inoue was ducking if he vacated.
You know I wouldn't, and I've been on here long enough to suggest that I wouldn't say such a thing.
 
I never like the "mandatory" excuse because we know well how much that unbreakable rule becomes breakable when money makes sense, all of a sudden there are "special circumstances" where a fighter gets to keep his belt for 999 years until a bigger fight is made (or if the organization doesn't want their star to drop their belt)

But in this case, I don't mind Inoue taking a breather, the dude has earned it and we know what his end-game plans are, we'll get bigger and better fights from him.
he beat two champions to take all 4 belts, and now he beat nery. that's 3 fights against top tier, known competition. now he's going to beat up the mandatory, as he should.

what you described is the thing that's wrong. having mandatory challengers stand around not getting their shot. this is how it should be.
 
I never like the "mandatory" excuse because we know well how much that unbreakable rule becomes breakable when money makes sense, all of a sudden there are "special circumstances" where a fighter gets to keep his belt for 999 years until a bigger fight is made (or if the organization doesn't want their star to drop their belt)

But in this case, I don't mind Inoue taking a breather, the dude has earned it and we know what his end-game plans are, we'll get bigger and better fights from him.
Not with the IBF. They actually enforce their mandatories. If he doesn't fight Goodman he'll be stripped. Inoue being a star (in Japan) may influence the other sanctioning bodies to cut him some slack but not here. The IBF stripped Canelo in 2019 for not fighting his mandatory in Derevyanchenko. They're strict and that's how they roll.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HHJ
Not with the IBF. They actually enforce their mandatories. If he doesn't fight Goodman he'll be stripped. Inoue being a star (in Japan) may influence the other sanctioning bodies to cut him some slack but not here. The IBF stripped Canelo in 2019 for not fighting his mandatory in Derevyanchenko. They're strict and that's how they roll.
One can only wish it would be that way all the time with every organization, no matter who, what or when.

It sucks when the mandatory excuse is used only when it suits whoever is using it but when it doesn't, they just ignore it.
 
Would Nakatani finally be a challenge for Inoue? I haven't seen much of his fights but I know he hits like fucking train and might be the first opponent that can match Inoue in terms of power after Donaire but he is also going up in weight to fight Inoue. It'll probably be made because it makes a lot of business sense but I'd rather see Inoue go up another weight for some challenges there.
 
Inoue shouldnt go up anymore, he was clearly the much smaller man today regardless of his opponent, he will just go up one weight too many and lose to a lesser skilled fighter at some point
 
Back
Top