Facing Naoya Inoue has been likened to receiving an electric shock. The Japanese phenom, known as 'the Monster', stands just 5'5" and weighs under 126 pounds, yet he is one of the most devastating punchers in boxing history. On Saturday, Inoue defends his super-bantamweight titles against compatriot Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome.
Inoue has stopped 27 of his 32 opponents and has scored over 45 knockdowns. Alongside Oleksandr Usyk, he is widely regarded as one of the sport's elite pound-for-pound fighters. BBC Sport spoke to former opponents to understand what it's truly like to step into the ring with him.
The Fear Factor
Paul Butler, a two-time world bantamweight champion, faced Inoue in 2022. Leading up to the fight, Butler's research left him anxious. "For 12 weeks, I thought when he hits me it's going to feel like a train," Butler said. His trainer sent him clips of Inoue flooring sparring partners with 14-ounce gloves. "I thought, 'wow, what does he punch like with 8-ounce gloves?'"
At the weigh-in, Butler felt a surge of confidence seeing Inoue struggle with the weight cut. "I looked at him and thought, 'How on earth are you knocking people out? Mate, you're tiny.' But the next day in the ring, he was massive. I saw his calves and thought, 'wow—the size of his legs.'"
The Power
Jason Moloney, who fought Inoue in 2020 for the IBF and WBA bantamweight titles, describes the unique sensation of being hit. "It's like a shocking power—an electric feeling that goes right through you," Moloney said. Early in the fight, he blocked some punches and thought he could handle it. "But when he lands clean, they're so crisp. They're not nice to wear."
Butler adds that Inoue's power is more than just brute force. "In round eight, he hit me with a backhand flush on the chin two seconds before the bell. I couldn't remember a word my trainer said in the corner. I stood up for round nine and my legs were still shaky. It's the timing, speed, and accuracy—the all-round package."
Inoue's ability to generate knockout power from unexpected angles and distances makes him uniquely dangerous. As he prepares to face Nakatani, the boxing world waits to see if another opponent succumbs to the Monster's bite.