Nobody is beating Naoya Inoue || Inoue vs. Kim recap

Naoya Inoue is seemingly invincible. He knocked out Ye Joon Kim in Japan this weekend and, while he's not a great opponent, we still got to see "The Monster" in action.

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Chapters: 0:30 Naoya Inoue is unmatched 5:22 Naoya Inoue’s evolution vs. southpaws 8:38 Defensive miscues 11:01 What’s next for The Monster?

Looking through the rankings, there truly isn't anyone for Naoya Inoue at 122 pounds. Sam Goodman was supposed to be the fight and he's ranked third. But with Goodman pulling out, Naoya Inoue took on a southpaw on short notice. Is preparing for someone more challenging?

The evolution versus southpaws has been noticeable for Naoya Inoue. Having now fought four in a row, specifically choosing Ye Joon Kim, I suspect Naoya Inoue is preparing for a big time southpaw fight in 2025. Will he be ready? His adaptations are showing us that he may be.

While he was impressive, notching a fourth round knockout, Naoya Inoue was also hit by Ye Joon Kim a lot in this fight. If he's planning on moving up, these types of miscues will not suffice. Naoya Inoue will have to be on his best behavior and shore up these defensive woes going forward.

So what's next? Naoya Inoue is a top pound for pound fighter, easily top five. Will he get the mega fight that he deserves? There are options out there and I believe the next one will be, almost certainly, Junto Nakatani. He is a long and lanky southpaw coming up from 120 and would be a challenge for Naoya Inoue. The other options would potentially be Emmanuel Navarrette, Shakur Stevenson, and Gervonta Davis.