As elite fighters grow older, fans inevitably begin to wonder—how much time do they have left at the top? While heavyweights often extend their careers well into their late 30s or even 40s, lighter-weight boxers tend to peak earlier and decline faster.
Naoya Inoue celebrates his 32nd birthday today (April 10), still holding the throne as the undisputed super-bantamweight champion.
His schedule for the immediate future is already set: a clash with Ramon Cardenas on May 4, a potential bout with Murodjon Akhmadaliev later in the year, and—assuming he clears his WBA mandatory—a blockbuster all-Japanese showdown with Junto Nakatani in 2026.
Inoue has mentioned in past interviews that he intends to fight into his mid-thirties. Given how he’s already viewed by many as the greatest Japanese boxer ever, the question becomes: how much more can he achieve?
Nicknamed “The Monster,” Inoue boasts a flawless record of 29 wins (26 by knockout). He claimed his first world title back in 2014 with a sixth-round KO of Adrian Hernandez for the WBO light-flyweight belt. Since then, every one of his fights has been contested for a world championship.
Despite his dominance, some potential matchups never materialized. Talks of a superfight with Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez fell apart due to promotional redirection.
Inoue also never faced Juan Francisco Estrada or Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, skipping the flyweight division altogether. A clash with John Riel Casimero has long been speculated but remains unrealized.
Now, there’s even buzz around a possible fight with WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball, which would require Inoue to move up yet another weight class. Given how effortlessly he handled Stephen Fulton, Marlon Tapales, and Luis Nery, his greatest challenge going forward may not be his opponents—but the weight divisions themselves.
