For Naoya Inoue, a close-knit family bond in the gym is part of his success

Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue’s life is simple: He trains with his family, which has led him to become one of the all-time greats of his era. 

In a video feature titled “THE FIGHT LIFE Naoya Inoue: The Perfect Fighter,” uploaded to Top Rank Boxing’s YouTube page, Inoue discusses his deep bond with his family and love for boxing. The feature followed the lead-up to his fight with Luis Nery last May.

“I’ve boxed ever since I can remember,” Inoue said in the video. “So it became a part of my life. I kept at it because I love it.”

Inoue, 28-0 (25 KOs), trains with his father, Shingo Inoue. Takuma Inoue, his younger brother, is a former WBA bantamweight titleholder who recently lost his belt to Seiya Tsutsumi in October. In the video, the family was in an isolated gym, where they train together. 

“Since I started boxing, I always trained together with my family,” Naoya Inoue said. “Being together with family is an essential part of boxing for me. I always train with my brother like this. I always have him by my side for support.”

Inoue, 31, from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan, will fight for the eighth straight time in Japan. Inoue faces Ye Joon Kim on Friday at Ariake Arena, in Tokyo. The bout will stream on ESPN+.

Inoue held two fights in his home country in 2024, defeating Nery and TJ Doheny, both by technical knockout. Inoue was scheduled for a third fight in 2024 against Sam Goodman on December 24. The bout was postponed after Goodman suffered a cut while sparring. Recently, Goodman had to withdraw from Friday’s fight date, which set the stage for Kim to replace him. 

Kim, a 32-year-old from Seoul, South Korea, holds two monikers, according to BoxRec: “Troublemaker” and “Pacquiweather,” a play on two of the greatest boxers ever, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr. 

Kim is on a two-fight win streak since an upset loss to Rob Diezel in 2023, which was Kim’s only fight in the United States. Kim is 21-2-2 (13 KOs).