Undeniably, the United States of America is the hub for boxing! Even Australia’s Tim Tszyu realized that before he decided to fight Subastian Fundora. In a similar situation, former champion Shawn Porter appeared in an interview with Pro Box TV recently, suggesting Naoya Inoue needs to move to the States if he wants to take his stardom to the next level. He said, “If Inoue’s goal is to be a star in boxing, he has to come to the United States.”

Reacting to Porter’s comment, Inoue swiftly showed the former champion the reality of the situation. Taking to X, the undefeated and undisputed super bantamweight champion wrote, “The home of the lightweight division is now here in Japan. If you want to see the game, come to Japan. If there is something better than what is available in the Japanese market in America, I would be happy to go. That’s all worth it here in Japan.”

Moreover, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Leonard Ellerbe, who has worked with the likes of Gervonta Davis, had a similar outlook as Porter. Jumping on X, responding to ‘Showtime’ Porter’s statement, Floyd Mayweather’s business partner said, “Shawn I know exactly where you’re coming from. The young man is definitely a rock star in Japan, and he’s generating enormous revenue. But outside of the diehards, he’s relatively unknown in the U.S., where we actually live.”

While he responds to such comments, the ‘Monster’ Inoue is about to enter the ring against (35-1) Luis Nery on May 6 at Tokyo Dome, Japan. The venue will see its first boxing match since Buster Douglas defeated Mike Tyson in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Nery is planning on doing something similar. 

Unlike Shawn Porter & Leonard Ellerbe, Luis Nery thinks Naoya Inoue is “overrated”

Ahead of his upcoming clash in Japan, Nery, the former two-weight world champion, spoke to Boxing Scene through a translator. He claimed, “Inoue is a very good fighter, and this is the biggest fight of my career—four titles are on the line, but I’ve seen his fights, and I think he’s overrated.”

According to Nery, Inoue is an ordinary fighter; at least, that’s what he deduced from the fights he has seen so far. Later in the interview, Nery revealed his strategy for winning the fight. He said, “I hope it doesn’t go the 12 rounds. I want it to end early. You will see a conditioned, stronger, faster, and intelligent Nery who hits hard.”

There’s no denying that the boxing scene in America is the biggest compared to anywhere else. However, Naoya Inoue seems to have created his own cult following in the country and beyond, and that’s the reason people all over the globe are talking about him. Do you think the ‘Monster’ needs to come to America?