Read the full story on SportsLook – [ODDS and EVENS] Boxing is in disarray as Naoya Inoue plots his next move
With four major (and rival) professional boxing organizations each administering separate rankings and awarding separate title belts, no one is really in charge. It's a dog-eat-dog world both in and out of the ring.
Exhibit A: The debate continues over when and who undisputed super bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue will fight again.
The World Boxing Association announced that Inoue must face the number one ranked challenger in his weight class, Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan, in a mandatory title defense. Inoue's deadline was set for September 25.
By issuing this statement, the WBA sent a message to Inoue: “If you don't fight Akhmadaliev, you will lose your WBA belt.”
Every year, boxers, aided and abetted by managers and promoters, ignore the mandatory title defence ultimatum and arrange a bout with another opponent.
Again, there is no centralized supreme authority in boxing, so it often makes sense for big-name fighters and their trainers, driven by money, to pick fights based on how much money is involved in the deal.
Hideyuki Ohashi, president of the Ohashi Boxing Gym, emphasized this point in his reaction to the WBA's recent demand that the 31-year-old Inoue (27-0, 24 knockouts) must fight Akhmadaliev by the aforementioned deadline.
According to Kyodo News, Ohashi said on June 14 that “it doesn't matter if I am stripped of my WBA title.”
Why did you say that, Ohashi-san?
Boxing superstar Inoue has a new plan
“The Monster” Inoue's trainers are preparing a bout with another opponent, expected to be Irishman TJ Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs), who is ranked No. 2 in the World Boxing Organization's super bantamweight rankings. Doheny is ranked No. 7 in the International Boxing Federation's super bantamweight rankings, No. 7 in the World Boxing Council and No. 8 in the WBA.
Bob Arum, president of Top Rank, which is partnering with Ohashi Promotions to promote Inoue, outlined the plans in a recent interview with Boxing Scene magazine.
The boxing heavyweight said Inoue will face the 37-year-old Doheny (reportedly with a target date of September 9) before facing 25-year-old Australian Sam Goodman (18-0, 8 KOs) in Japan in December.
For those keeping up with the rankings at home, Goodman is not ranked in the top 10 at super bantamweight, but he is ranked No. 1 by both the IBF and WBO and No. 7 by the WBC.
Given his successful track record and impressive overall boxing skills, Inoue has a good chance of beating both Doheny and Goodman to maintain his unbeaten record, and is projected to move up to featherweight (126 pounds) as early as 2025.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed JAPAN FORWARD'Dedicated website, Sport LookFollow him [Japan Sports Notebook] on sunday, [Odds and Evens] Weekdays, X (formerly Twitter) @ed_odeven.
