Undisputed Boxing Champion Naoya Inoue Continues Dominance In Rare US Match
By Romen Basu Borsellino | 06 May, 2025

In his first boxing match in the US since 2021, Naoya Inoue aka “The Monster” left few doubts as to why he remains the best in the world.

Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue's four-year-long hiatus from competing in the US was worth the wait. On Sunday, Inoue, nicknamed “The Monster,” defeated San Antonio, TX native Ramon Cardenas to become the undisputed super bantamweight champion of the world. The weight class allows for a maximum of 122-pounds. 

The match, which took place at the T-Mobile Area in Las Vegas, was meant to go for eleven rounds, but ended when Inoue delivered a technical knockout in the eighth. It has been six years since Inoue faced a challenger who lasted the entire match. Since 2019, he has achieved eleven consecutive technical knockouts. 

Inoue’s opponent Ramon Cardenas shocked viewers by briefly knocking The Monster down during the second round, a rare feat. In spite of that, Inoue was otherwise in complete control for the remainder of that match. 

The match was praised by viewers for its exciting display of boxing technique, a departure from what viewers deemed an otherwise boring weekend of competition. Inoue has a reputation for chasing dominance by fighting as passionately as possible, even though a more slow and conservative approach would likely lead him to victory all the same (though by judge’s decision rather than technical knockout).

In 2022 Inoue made history as the first Japanese boxer to be ranked #1 in the world, pound for pound. At age 32, he remains undefeated, with 27 of his 30 wins achieved by technical knockout. He is the first and only boxer to win the undisputed championship at super bantamweight, which means he has won all four major competitions, the equivalent of a grand slam in tennis. In the bantamweight class, just one below Inoues, all four championships are held by Japanese boxers. 

Despite his undeniable prowess, The Monster isn’t as well-known in the West. In a profile about Inoue earlier this year, ESPN explained that “He still remains somewhat of a mystery to many American boxing fans since he constantly fights in Japan at odd hours in the U.S.” His ability to easily sell out the Tokyo Dome, attract millions of Japanese viewers, and collect a sizable purse for each match gives Inoue little reason to travel to the US. 

Immediately following his victory, Inoue announced that this next match will take place in Tokyo in September against Uzbekistani boxer Murodjon Akhmadaliev.