NAOYA INOUE could be the next high profile boxer to fight in the Middle East.
According to Yahoo Sports Japan the undisputed super-bantamweight champion has signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Riyadh Season.
Figures of between £15m and £20m are circling online but the agreement does not necessarily guarantee that Top Rank’s Japanese superstar will fight in Saudi Arabia.
Inoue’s next bout takes place on Christmas Eve in Tokyo against Australian Sam Goodman. Should the phenom retain his undisputed crown he may decide to move up to featherweight. As things stand the four world champions at 130lbs are Rafael Espinoza (WBO), Angelo Leo (IBF), Brandon Figueroa (WBC) and Nick Ball (WBA). The latter has fought twice in Riyadh this year resulting in a split draw against Rey Vargas before beating Raymond Ford to take the WBA belt.
Ball is promoted by Queensberry who are involved in a partnership with Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh. Connecting the dots may lead to a fight between Ball and Inoue in 2025.
On social media today Alalshikh posted an image of Inoue shadow boxing, a picture of the two together (with Inoue wearing a Riyadh Season t-shirt) and Inoue sat at a table. Elsewhere on social media an image of Alalshikh and Inoue holding signed paperwork has also surfaced.
“I think it’s all about timing,” Inoue said in quotes attributed to Yahoo Sports Japan.
“This year’s fight has been decided. I don’t know what will happen next year. If I can fight in Saudi Arabia, I’ll just live up to those expectations. I think I’ll just perform the way I do in Japan.”
Inoue, who is unbeaten in 28 fights, has been boxing for world titles since his sixth bout. On April 6, 2014 ‘The Monster’ won his first beating Adrian Hernandez by sixth round stoppage to become WBC Light-Flyweight champion. Inoue went on to win another world title at super-flyweight and then became undisputed bantamweight champion in December 2022. The pound-for-pound star would repeat the feat at super-bantamweight in July 2023.
Alalshikh will undoubtedly do everything he can to bring Inoue to Saudi Arabia and add him to the list of star names featuring Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to have fought there.
“Inoue is the best and strongest boxer of all time. He has a great interest in Japan and the Japanese market. I hope he will be a good and important ambassador for Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Season,” Alalshikh said.