Fighting Harada vs Naoya Inoue at 118

Tin_Ribs · Sep 19, 2019

I've often seen Inoue described as a complete fighter as well, which I wouldn't roll with. And that's not a criticism per se, sometimes it's just enough to have speed, power and a bit of timing to be a real force.

roughdiamond · Sep 20, 2019

Tin_Ribs said: ↑

I think the minimalistic slipping and riding a bit with the punches is what he tries to sometimes do. He's always shifting his upper body with punches a bit, but I'm not sure he has the defensive radar or reflexes to be genuinely good at it. That was why I said fairly tbh. Like you say, I've seen him slip punches and counter sometimes but yeah, definitely more of a range controller type. My worry, if you can call it that, is that I do think he gets hit and his opposition hasn't been great so far imo. Carrying off that defensive approach against better fighters is harder and riskier for most. I agree that he's more flat footed at bantam too. I haven't watched much of Donaire post-Walters other than the Frampton fight tbh so can't comment too much on their fight. Donaire in his prime was similar to me in that his speed, power and form were tremendous but he was fairly pedestrian in terms of his overall range of skills. A very good counter-puncher but slow of foot where Inoue is the opposite, but Donaire needed the openings to come more of there own volition than being able to create them.

You sort of touched upon what I meant when I said Inoue can turn surgeon like very quickly with the left hook counter off the straight right (Old Bones!) and splitting a guard from nowhere with accurate shots, he catches people out a bit after previously throwing fairly routine, predictable shots. I do rate him highly overall but hype around a fighter always irks me mostly because it's usually premature and most inevitably fall short of expectations. Donaire himself was the same ten years ago, though a very good/excellent and dangerous fighter overall. Inoue is an example I've seen used quite often to justify all eras being equal (they aren't) but I want to see how his career unfolds because he could be great by the end of it.
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Definitely agree with you about the hype thing. I definitely wouldn't say Inoue was more talented than Watanabe, and obviously his spirit can't be compared to a Tatsuyoshi. It's the same with Loma. Real great skills, but saying he's the best since Ali, up there with Sugar Ray Robinson, is just ridiculous.

I actually find it disrespectful to the great fighters who never had the hype and backing, and had to prove themselves time and time again, sometimes against a murderers row.

Hell, you had some people saying 'he does things never before seen'. They've obviously never watched Orlando Canizales!

roughdiamond · Nov 23, 2019

Tin_Ribs said: ↑

@roughdiamond Inoue is formidable but I think more for his speed and power rather than his overall skill set, which is relatively basic by world class standards. He has decent feet and balance though and turns his punches over excellently. Solid shot selection, especially to set up his left to the body and has all the punches but is fairly straight ahead in his approach imo, though quick off the mark and fairly accurate to compensate. Paws a bit with his jab. Not a counterpuncher or punch slipper and a fairly straight up easy to hit target with the earmuffs on.

He's a bit deceptive though, can seemingly switch from being a bit plodding, sloppy and predictable to more surgeon-like very quickly and obviously with good speed and crushing power. He reminds me a bit of Moon tbh, has that same natural rhythm and timing despite a fairly simple approach. His chin has looked good so far too.
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Tin_Ribs said: ↑

I think the minimalistic slipping and riding a bit with the punches is what he tries to sometimes do. He's always shifting his upper body with punches a bit, but I'm not sure he has the defensive radar or reflexes to be genuinely good at it. That was why I said fairly tbh. Like you say, I've seen him slip punches and counter sometimes but yeah, definitely more of a range controller type. My worry, if you can call it that, is that I do think he gets hit and his opposition hasn't been great so far imo. Carrying off that defensive approach against better fighters is harder and riskier for most. I agree that he's more flat footed at bantam too. I haven't watched much of Donaire post-Walters other than the Frampton fight tbh so can't comment too much on their fight. Donaire in his prime was similar to me in that his speed, power and form were tremendous but he was fairly pedestrian in terms of his overall range of skills. A very good counter-puncher but slow of foot where Inoue is the opposite, but Donaire needed the openings to come more of there own volition than being able to create them.

You sort of touched upon what I meant when I said Inoue can turn surgeon like very quickly with the left hook counter off the straight right (Old Bones!) and splitting a guard from nowhere with accurate shots, he catches people out a bit after previously throwing fairly routine, predictable shots. I do rate him highly overall but hype around a fighter always irks me mostly because it's usually premature and most inevitably fall short of expectations. Donaire himself was the same ten years ago, though a very good/excellent and dangerous fighter overall. Inoue is an example I've seen used quite often to justify all eras being equal (they aren't) but I want to see how his career unfolds because he could be great by the end of it.
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Tin_Ribs said: ↑

I think the Donaire of 2009 would've beaten Inoue. It'd shut a few people up nicely if old man Nonito manages to put the clappers on the Inoue hype train though.
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Damn Tin_Ribs was right.

Mendoza · Nov 23, 2019

The really big punchers are often a tad hyped the first half of their careers. At this point, I'd pick Harda via decision.

Mod-Mania · Nov 23, 2019

Harada UD.

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Fighting Harada vs Naoya Inoue at 118

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Fighting Harada vs Naoya Inoue at 118

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