Naoya Inoue has proven he is a force to be reckoned with. Despite that, many have linked him to a dream fight against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis, even though the weight class disparity makes it impossible for them to fight. In the meantime, a new challenger has emerged as a future opponent for the Japanese star. 

The 32-year-old defeated Ramon Cardenas in May in a high-octane bout via 8th-round stoppage and revealed his next opponent will be interim WBA junior featherweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Yet, there is another name eager to meet the two-weight undisputed champion in the ring. It’s none other than Inoue’s fellow compatriot Junto Nakatani. 

The 27-year-old three-division world champion has been hoping to get matched with Naoya Inoue for a while, dreaming of rising to the top in the lower weight classes. Despite being an underdog, the WBC bantamweight champion sees it as an advantage to work even harder. “That’s an advantage that [Inoue] has given me; he motivates me to fight better,” Nakatani told Boxing News recently.

He is currently slated to square off against IBF bantamweight champion Ryosuke Nishida on 8th June at the Ariake Colosseum. A win here will take Nakatani one step closer to his dream fight against the undisputed super bantamweight champion, which he feels would go down sometime in 2026. “We’re ideally looking at around this time next year to fight Inoue, but a lot of things can happen [between now and then],” Nakatani said. 

Junto Nakatani claims he is not overlooking the undefeated Nishida, especially because one mistake can take away the Inoue fight. “So I’m working very hard for each and every one of my fights coming up,” he added. Regardless, coming back to Davis-Inoue, the ‘The Monster’ has clarified, “Yes, featherweight is my limit. I’m not interested in going any higher.”

This means Gervonta Davis will have to come down in weight if he desires to make the fight. For now, Tank is focused on his rematch against Lamont Roach Jr. on August 16th. But who would win if they were to fight?

Manny Pacquiao reveals the winner of Gervonta Davis vs. Naoya Inoue

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has weighed in on a hypothetical matchup between Gervonta Davis vs. Naoya Inoue. Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles ahead of his July 19 return against Mario Barrios, Pacquiao made it clear who he believes would come out on top. “Inoue. Inoue is fast. Remember, in boxing, speed is the key,” Pacquiao stated confidently.

The Filipino icon also expressed pride in Inoue’s rise through the ranks, comparing the Japanese star’s style to his own early days in the lower weight classes. “Inoue, I am proud of him. He is from Japan in Asia, in our place. His style is like when I was young, like 115, 122 lbs,” Pacquiao added. 

That said, even though the hype around Gervonta Davis vs. Naoya Inoue is huge, it’s unlikely that the fight would ever happen. But if it did, who do you think would win?