Taguchi & Inoue sparred before they fought, loss to Inoue made him world champ

Everyone who exchanged punches with Naoya Inoue tasted despair. Former world champion Ryoichi Taguchi was no exception.

On May 22, 2012, Taguchi, then 25 years old and ranked number one in the Japanese light-flyweight division, received a sparring offer from Inoue, who had just graduated from high school at the age of 19.

"I had heard that there was an amazing amateur boxer named Naoya Inoue. But I had sparred with world champions before. Although I felt a bit rusty, I thought it would be okay."

As soon as it started, Inoue closed the distance and launched a fierce attack. His punches were relentless and each one was heavy.

"Even though it was just sparring, I seriously thought he was trying to kill me. I felt his murderous intent, like he was going to finish me off right there."

Rolling around the ring while taking punches, Taguchi experienced his first knockdown in a match or in training. The scheduled four rounds were cut short to three. Taguchi pretended to go to the restroom and left the training area. He cried alone for a while.

"I thought, 'What will happen to me if he turns pro and comes into the same weight class? It's over for me.' That's when the word 'despair' came to mind."

More important than becoming a world champion But did Taguchi's life end in despair? No, it did not. After winning the Japanese title, Taguchi nominated Inoue as his challenger.

The president of his gym, Hitoshi Watanabe, was surprised. Hadn't he been knocked down in sparring? Wouldn't he be at a significant disadvantage if he fought? Moreover, Taguchi was now the Japanese champion and ranked highly in the world. He had earned the right to challenge for a world title.

President Watanabe urged Taguchi to avoid the Inoue fight and made another suggestion.

"Hey, Taguchi, since you can fight for a world title, why don't you skip the Inoue fight and go for the world title instead?"

Every boxer aims for a world title. However, Taguchi shook his head.

"I don't intend to climb up by avoiding the Inoue fight. I don't want to be thought of as someone who 'ran away.' I won't run away; I'll fight."

When facing a strong opponent, what does one do?

Taguchi chose "not to run away." During the preparation phase for the match, he made one agreement with his trainer.

"Let's set the opponent's strength far higher."

By doing so, there would be no need to panic during the actual match. His concentration naturally increased with daily practice. If he let his guard down even a little, Inoue's punch would come flying. There was such tension.

He fought through 10 rounds in the match and lost by decision, losing the Japanese title.

However, Taguchi found a path through his fight with Inoue. In this match, everyone felt Taguchi's growth. He scored points in 2-3 rounds out of the 10. He received cheers from the fans, and there was a change within himself as well.

"I feel like there's no opponent stronger than Inoue anymore. I gained confidence, or rather, the fight with Inoue became my support. After that, I felt mentally at ease fighting anyone."

A champion nurtured by defeat After the Inoue fight, if he found himself in a pinch during a match, his corner would shout:

"You're not weaker than Inoue, are you? You can fight like you did back then."

When he was told that, Taguchi's gears shifted up. Fighting through the "monster" had become his confidence.

Afterward, Taguchi became a world champion, defending his title 7 times and unifying the titles of two organizations, becoming a renowned champion.

Looking back, the biggest asset was the practice for the Inoue fight. Concentration, ambition, and pushing through each day. He learned a lot during the preparation for the Inoue fight.

"I think luck came my way because I fought him. If he hadn't been there, I probably wouldn't have become a world champion."

https://president.jp/articles/-/75226?page=3

https://president.jp/articles/-/75226?page=4

Video of the sparring session

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Ironically when they fought in the pro's later, Taguchi would be the only man whom Inoue couldn't KD (both Carmona & Donaire were knocked down but survived) in his 27 fights so far