Naoya Inoue Retains Titles with Knockout Victory Over Ye-Joon Kim in Tokyo

Posted : 25 January 2025

Naoya Inoue, Japan's undefeated boxing champion, admitted to being mentally "exhausted" after defending his undisputed world super-bantamweight titles in Tokyo on Friday. The 31-year-old, known as the "Monster," secured a knockout victory over South Korea's Ye-joon Kim, landing a powerful one-two combination in the fourth round.

The victory marked Inoue's third title defense and his 10th consecutive knockout, extending his unbeaten record to 29-0 with 26 knockouts. Despite his dominance in the ring, Inoue confessed that the buildup to the fight had taken a mental toll, with multiple disruptions including an opponent change just two weeks before the fight.

Kim, who stepped in to replace injured Australian Sam Goodman, had originally been scheduled to face Inoue in December, but the bout was postponed after Goodman suffered a training injury. Inoue spoke about the mental strain caused by the delays and changes, explaining that the pressure was more exhausting than the physical toll.

"I'm exhausted, but more than being physically tired, there has been a lot going on in the past two months," he shared, reflecting on the disrupted preparations and the challenge of adapting to a new opponent.

Inoue’s knockout of Kim sealed the South Korean's fate after a brief but intense exchange. Kim, who had never fought for a world title before, had hoped to become South Korea’s first male world champion in nearly two decades.

However, his plan to lure Inoue in for counterattacks backfired when the champion responded with a brutal combination that sent him to the canvas. Kim, who had previously defeated all seven Japanese fighters he faced, acknowledged Inoue’s superior speed and strength, admitting that he was more formidable than he anticipated.

Looking ahead, Inoue plans to fight in Las Vegas in the spring, marking his first fight in the U.S. since his victory over Michael Dasmarinas in 2021. He has also been linked to a potential bout in Saudi Arabia later this year after signing a sponsorship deal with the Riyadh Season.

Reflecting on his career, Inoue expressed a desire to continue evolving as a boxer, saying, “I don’t know how complete I am as a boxer. I want to keep training so that I can keep improving until the end of my career.” Despite the physical and mental exhaustion from his recent title defense, Inoue is determined to stay at the top of his game.

Naoya Inoue Retains Titles with Knockout Victory Over Ye-Joon Kim in Tokyo

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