Can Naoya Inoue become a big boxing super star in the future?

Yes, he can. There are plenty of Mexicans both native and US, Aussies, Brits in the 118-126 range.
Just make some of those matches and go to the US or UK or Mexico and KTFO some of them and he'll transcend only Japan.

 

I doubt it he fights at weights casuals or the media doesn't care about. Imo you need to fight atleast at 135 and that's stretching it to even have a chance of becoming a mega star.

 

I doubt it.

While he's very talented most boxing fans aren't too interested in fighters they think they could beat up.

 

Why does he need exposure outside Japan? He makes a lot if money fighting there. If the ignorant boxing fans won't rate him because he doesn't fight in corrupt hostile territory who cares? History will. He gets both legacy and money in Japan.

 

He's getting wasted in japan. Yeah he's already famous there but doubt your boxing casual everwhere else is even aware of who he is. Wonder why top rank isnt pushing for him to be an international star

 

If I was promoting the guy then I would aim at asia first and foremost. Headline cards in places like China, Thailand, south korea and the Philippines atleast to begin with. Perhaps attempt to do some fights in the UK. When all is said and done he could have a better legacy than Pac or Buakaw but his pockets won't probably however get anywhere close to as full as Pacmans.

 

He's already a SuperStar throughout Asia, where the vast majority of the worlds population resides. You need to take off your tinted 'USA is everything' glasses and realize it is a big world out there, far beyond the inherent biases we see against foreign fighters in the USA . I will say the ESPN crew did a good job of pumping him up though.

 

Called it three years ago.

 

He should be able to. It's the business of boxing holding boxing back. I had to call a local bar beforehand to ask them to show Inoue v Fulton on one of their many screens. Jake Paul v Nate Diaz will probably be advertised. The business of boxing is a joke. Push the Youtubers that are self entitled 'good for boxing' to actually promote boxing considering how much they've taken from boxing. Push the media to focus on the amazing, absolutely incredible boxers that fight within the lower weight limits rather than Tyson Fury's latest blah. The media should be weighing in heavy on the joke cards that judges put in. Boxing history is currently being misaligned with fact. That's really ****!ng sad.

 

He can be a star in East Asia (already is in Japan, not sure about SK, China, Taiwan)

For him to be a star in the West:

1) He needs big name Western/Latino fighters fighting at 122, 126 or 130 & currently there aren't any. Pac had Barrera & Morales
2) Probably be willing to trash talk & be on social media all day like Ryan Garcia which means his Boxing skills will take a hit. Generally Japanese people tend to be subdued & restrained, so I doubt you will see Inoue go all Adrien Broner level of trash talk as a marketing ploy, he lets his fists do the talking
3) Learn some English (though Duran never did & he could come to your hometown & make you root for him over your local fighter)

That highlighted criticism has 0 validity & is pushed by LDBC type garbage. Fights typically happen where they generate the most revenue & in the weight classes Inoue fights, no one in the West even comes close to generating that kind of money. Fortunately for him, Japan is also a high income country & the third largest economy on the planet. For the Fulton fight as per Rick Glaser he supposedly made 10 million USD while Fulton made 3 million (Fulton will likely never see that kind of money again unless he grabs a belt at 126 & Inoue comes to take that too). Everyone in those weight classes will gladly go fight him in Japan because for these weight classes, that is life changing money

The only reason guys like Pacquiao, Loma, GGG etc fought in US is because that's where the money is for their weight classes & their own countries don't have the economic power that Japan has. Do you really think Loma gives a sh*t about pleasing Americans? If he could he would love to fight in Ukraine in front of 3 Ukranian judges & so would any fighter with sense (especially if they lack the power to get stoppages)

Even if Inoue managed to defy every limit & climb to 135, none of the top 135 guys like Shakur, Haney, Tank, & Loma are stars either. It was Ryan Garcia who managed to sell the PPV's in the fight against Tank & far more casuals in the West know who Ryan is vs Inoue, sad though that is. In the Boxing history books it will be different, Ryan will be a footnote at best unless you are the special kind of idiot who made this thread:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/p4p-comparison-inoue-vs-ryan-garcia.657846/

There are 2 revenue generating machines in Boxing currently & that's Canelo & Tyson Fury. Inoue might join them depending on how big he becomes in Japan because Japan is the 3rd largest economy on the planet

 

Nope.

 

Look at Jai pushing back against Hearn's claim about going to US saying that's not what he wants, what he wants is to rep his hometown in Australia & have big fights in the stadium there

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