Why Naoya Inoue should think twice about rising too high

Naoya Inoue’s rise through boxing has been nothing short of meteoric and veteran broadcaster and former titleholder Raul Marquez believes Inoue still has a lot left to give to the sport.

The two-time undisputed champion, now reigning as such at junior featherweight, Inoue has made world-class fighters look like novices with his explosive power and precision. As one of boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighters and surely the greatest Japanese boxer in history, Inoue has left fans eagerly awaiting his return in December, though no opponent has been officially named.

Marquez recently shared his thoughts on Inoue’s career and the potential challenges ahead for the fighter known as “The Monster.” When asked about how far Inoue, 28-0 (25 KOs), could go in terms of weight divisions, Marquez was both admiring and cautious. He believes featherweight could be Inoue’s limit.

“They’re talking about him going up to 140[lbs] or even 147, but I think that’s a bit too much,” Marquez told BoxingScene. “Sure, Manny Pacquiao did it – he started at 106 and went all the way to 147, fighting guys like Margarito at 154.”

But Pacquiao was a different animal.

Inoue has fought twice this year, winning both bouts by knockout – though neither performance was as spectacular as those from previous years. He was dropped in the first round by Luis Nery before stopping Nery in the sixth, and he allowed the visibly bigger TJ Doheny to find some early success before patiently bludgeoning him to defeat in seven.

There is some speculation about whether Inoue, at 31, is still in his prime – especially given that lower-weight fighters tend to age faster. Marquez, however, isn’t concerned.

“I think he’s still there, man,” he said. “He’s still got a lot of fights left in him. I’m excited to see what he does next.”

One matchup that has fans buzzing is a potential clash between Inoue and bantamweight titleholder Junto Nakatani, who has been making waves of his own. For Marquez, the prospect of the all-Japanese showdown is thrilling.

“That’s a fight I would love to see,” Marquez said. “At this stage of his career, you want to see Inoue in big fights. Why take a risk fighting someone without a name? I would love to see that fight.”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.