Naoya Inoue, the Japanese boxing sensation, has been hailed as the pound-for-pound number one after his recent victory over Junto Nakatani. However, veteran promoter Bob Arum has a different perspective and believes Inoue should reconsider his future fight plans. Arum suggests that Inoue should remain at super-bantamweight and continue his reign as the undisputed champion, rather than making a move up to featherweight.
Inoue has expressed his intention to face Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, the unified super-flyweight champion, in early 2027. This fight would see Inoue move up to bantamweight, a weight class he plans to dominate before making one final move up to featherweight. However, Arum argues that this strategy could be risky.
Arum's concern lies in the fact that Inoue's next potential opponent, WBO champion Rafael Espinoza, is a towering 6'1" tall, significantly taller than Inoue's 5'5" frame. While this presents a formidable challenge, Arum points out that other featherweight champions, such as WBA titleholder Brandon Figueroa (5'9") and IBF champion Angelo Leo (5'6
