Wilfredo Gomez vs. Naoya Inoue

I ran a poll on this same question last October and the voting was 27-18 in favor of Gomez, a perfect 60% / 40% split. I voted Gomez by kayo. Even after seeing Inoue's perfect destruction of Cool Boy Steph I believe I would vote the same way but with a lot less conviction. Bazooka knocked out 42 of his 44 victims and his only two losses until right at the end of his career were when he moved up in weight to take on in-their-prime Hall of Famers Salvador Sanchez and Azumah Nelson.

Up to this point, Inoue has handled the best punches he's been hit with, mainly from Donaire, but even Donaire wasn't on the power level of Gomez. The one flaw with Gomez is his three losses were by knockout and Monster can knock people out.

It would be a fantastic fight but it wouldn't last long. (Think Zarate and Zamora)

 

When do they weigh in?

 

Depends if Gomez is shooting up dope or not. Sober, I give him a good chance of a UD in a battle of attrition.

 

For right now I’m going with Gomez. Inoue has yet to feel anything like that kind of power and he might never

 

Hardly fair on Inoue putting him in with Gomez after only one fight at 122lbs…

 

Gomez

 

Gomez in 8

 

I havent seen Inoue but heard fantastic things about him.

But...Gomez in 5 or 6.

 

Hard to vote against Inoue dude looks unbeatable rn so Inoue by knock out.

 

Gomez via destruction.

Inoue should be pitted against Pintor instead imo.

 

I've never liked Gomez much but it's hard to look at Inoue and Gomez at his super bantam peak and see the same level of fighter. Certainly in terms of quality of opposition beaten, and still when honestly looking at what they were both visibly capable of in the ring. Gomez clearly the more skilled, multi-dimensional fighter and natural talent imo.

Even without reckoning with a Zarate level fighter, if Inoue had managed thus far to completely break down and overrun an excellent fighter like Davila or cleanly outbox/outslug and stop the type of Pintor level fighter that isn't on his CV, a conversation can be had. But I don't think from what I've seen that he's capable of that level of thing even if he wanted to try, excellent though he is.I

The time for it was at superfly, his only weight class thus far where genuinely stern opposition was available in a fashion rare in today's game, but he bypassed the likes of Gonzalez, Estrada, SSR, Cuadras etc and is still stuck thus far with a level of vanquished opposition that makes Ricardo Lopez and Khaosai Galaxy look as though they fought their way through the hordes of Genghis Khan.

I still think that he's an excellent fighter but one who gets by more on power, speed and relentlessness than a great skillset other than good educated footwork. Nakatani looks more skilled and talented imo as Japanese fighters go, though having largely only beaten similar hapless opposition.

 

Lupe Pintor? He was crude, a brawler, Inoue can think steps ahead, Pintor could only think in the moment. Inoue would have a look at him and set him up for something devastating.

 

Pintor was not crude whatsoever, and he proved his chin, skill and smarts against Zarate and Gomez.

Inoue is not just walking through him or anything like that.

 

Please stay in the general forum where you belong.