Table of Biography
Naoya Inoue is a Japanese Professional Boxer. Naoya Inoue won the WBO junior-bantamweight title and the WBC light-flyweight title in the year 2014. He is popular for his timing, speed, punching power, and body-punching ability, having a knockout ratio of 92%.
Early Life and Childhood
Naoya Inoue was born on April 10, 1993, in Zama, Kanagawa, Japan. He is 30 years old and is under the astrological sign, Aries. He holds Japanese nationality.
His father’s name is Shingo Inoue and his mother’s name is Miho Inoue. His father is a Japanese ultramarathon and marathon runner from Hachioji, Tokyo.
He was able to win the IAU 24-Hour Run World Championship held in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France in 2010 and win the International Tour de Taiwan Ultra-marathon in April 2013. Naoya also has a brother whose name is Takuma Inoue.
His brother is also a Japanese professional boxer who has held the WBA bantamweight title since April 2023. Previously, Takuma held the WBC interim bantamweight title from 2018 to 2019 and challenged for the full world title in the year 2019.
Caption: Naoya Inoue’s childhood picture with his father (Source: Instagram)
Naoya Inoue – Education
Regarding Inoue’s educational background and qualifications, no information has come forward until now. However, considering his age, he must have completed his high school education but we cannot be sure about his university-level education.
Career and Professional Life
Naoya Inoue claimed victory at the Japanese Interscholastic Athletic Meeting and the Japanese Junior National Championships in the year 2009. Then, the following year, he was able to secure the bronze medal at the Asian Youth Championships and emerge as the champion of the Japanese Junior Selection Tournament.
He even competed in the AIBA Youth World Championships, reaching the third preliminary round. In 2011, Inoue triumphed at the 21st President’s Cup in Jakarta and continued his winning streak at the Japanese Interscholastic Athletic Meeting.
Although he did face some challenges in the 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships and the 2012 Asian Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament, his amateur record stands at an impressive 75-6 with 48 knockouts.
He was able to decide to turn professional and join Ohashi Boxing Gym in the year 2012. Naoya had a strong debut, winning by knockout in the fourth round against Crison Omayao, the Filipino national champion.
And, in his next two fights, he was able to emerge victorious against Ngaoprajan Chuwatana, the Thai national champion, and Yūki Sano, Japan’s top-ranked light flyweight boxer. Also, in August 2013, he faced his toughest challenge yet, Ryoichi Taguchi, the WBA’s number three-ranked contender.
More About Career
Likewise, he was able to become the WBC light flyweight champion in just his sixth professional bout by defeating Adrián Hernández. He dominated the fight from start to finish, showcasing his skills and securing the victory.
He defended his title against Samartlek Kokietgym, winning every round and ultimately stopping his opponent in the 11th round. Then, in November 2014, he gave up his light flyweight title to challenge Omar Andrés Narváez for the WBO junior bantamweight title. But, despite Narváez’s impressive record and numerous title defenses, Inoue made a powerful statement in the fight.
And, after his injury, he faced David Carmona and Warlito Parrenas for his comeback. He went on to defeat Parrenas with a TKO victory and won a unanimous decision against Carmona, despite suffering another hand injury.
Inoue’s fourth defense was against Kohei Kono who was a former champion who had lost his WBA belt. However, Noaya delivered another impressive performance, dropping Kono with a left hook and stopping him in the sixth round and it was the first time Kono had lost by stoppage.
And, in his fifth defense, he defeated Ricardo Rodríguez by stopping him in the third round. The sixth defense of his WBO title was a success. He dominated Antonio Nieves, who eventually threw in the towel after six rounds.
Moreover, he expressed his intention to move up to the bantamweight division in the future. However, before making the move, he aimed to unify titles against another junior bantamweight titleholder in December 2017. Initially, his team had trouble securing an opponent, but eventually, he faced Yan Boyeaux and successfully defended his WBO title for the seventh time.
Bantamweight
Naoya Inoue’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, initially reported negotiations for a fight between Inoue and WBA ‘Regular’ bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell. The fight took place on May 25, 2018, in Tokyo, Japan, and Inoue dominated the fight, knocking McDonnell down multiple times with powerful punches, leading to a TKO victory for Inoue.
And, after defeating McDonnell, he went on to express his excitement to participate in the World Boxing Super Series and face other world champions. He even confirmed that he would be facing WBA ‘Super champion’ Ryan Burnett, WBO champion Zolani Tete, and IBF champion Emmanuel Rodríguez in the bantamweight tournament.
He went on to defend his WBA title against Juan Carlo Payano in the quarter-final of the World Boxing Super Series. won with a first-round knockout, landing a powerful right hand that put Payano down and unable to continue and the referee stopped the fight at 1:10 into the first round. Inoue then advanced to the final by knocking out Rodríguez in the second round.
Caption: Naoya Inoue wins two belts in the fight (Source: Instagram)
More in Bantamweight
In the World Boxing Super Series final, Naoya Inoue faced Nonito Donaire. It was an intense fight with both fighters showing incredible heart and endurance. He did win by unanimous decision, but Donaire put up a tough fight and even caused a serious cut above Inoue’s eye.
Their fight was later named the Ring magazine Fight of the Year. He then was supposed to fight Casimero, but it got canceled due to COVID-19. Instead, he faced Moloney and won by knockout. He also faced Dasmariñas and was able to win by third-round stoppage with three knockdowns.
Naoya Inoue was able to defend his titles against Dipaen and win by an eight-round technical knockout. He even became the 2021 “Fighter of the Year” by the Japanese Boxing Commission. Naoya had his fourth title defense against Donaire and won by a second-round technical knockout. Then became Japan’s first-ever three-belt titleholder.
He then went on to face Butler in a title unification bout and won by an eleventh-round technical knockout. He announced his intention to move up to super bantamweight and became the first-ever Japanese boxer to claim undisputed championship status. Also, Inoue vacated all five titles on January 13, 2023, as he moved up to super bantamweight.
Super bantamweight
Naoya Inoue entered negotiations with Fulton for a fight, which was initially scheduled for May 7 but later postponed due to Inoue’s fist injury. The bout was rescheduled for July 25, and he was able to win by an eighth-round technical knockout.
He then was able to become the second-ever Japanese fighter to win major titles in four weight classes. And, he is in negotiations with Tapales for an undisputed title bout scheduled on December 26, 2023, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Relationship Status
Naoya Inoue tied the knot with his long-term girlfriend. They were high school sweethearts who eventually married each other. However, the name of his wife is not available. It seems his wife wants to keep her identity private. The couple has one son and one daughter together who were born in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
Caption: Naoya Inoue with his son (Source: Instagram)
Naoya Inoue – Body Measurements
Naoya Inoue has a height of 5 feet 5 inches and his weight is 54 Kg but all other body measurements are still under review. Moreover, Inoue has black hair and dark brown eyes.
Social Media
Naoya Inoue is pretty active on all of his social accounts. He owns his Instagram account under the name “naoyainoue_410” and has 1.1 million followers on it. He is active on the Twitter platform as well and has garnered 666.7K followers until now.
Net Worth 2024
As per Sportslife, Naoya Inoue has a net worth of $5 million and his main income source is his boxing career.