Promoter Bob Arum says undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue is the “best fighter” he’s ever laid eyes on in “60 years” that he’s been covering the sport. In other words, Arum rates Inoue above Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Roberto Duran.
Inoue Elevated Above Ali, Leonard, and Duran
Arum, who promotes the former four-division world champion Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) with his Top Rank company, has promoted fighters with far better credentials than the 32-year-old Japanese star. It’s hard to take him seriously, given Inoue’s rather lackluster resume in terms of quality wins.
Arum’s Mount Rushmore of Greats
- Muhammad Ali
- Manny Pacquiao
- Marvelous” Marvin Hagler
- Sugar Ray Leonard
- George Foreman
- Oscar De La Hoya
- Floyd Mayweather Jr.
- Alexis Argüello
- Roberto Durán
- Thomas Hearns
When one looks at the massive talents that the 93-year-old Arum has promoted, they have done far more in their careers than ‘Monster’ Inoue. He’s a good fighter, but he’s had the advantage of fighting in weak divisions against limited opposition.
Donaire Exposed Cracks in the ‘Monster’ Myth
We saw what happened to him when he got busted up against a past his best 36-year-old Nonito Donaire in their first fight.
A Resume That Doesn’t Match the Praise
- Stephen Fulton
- Nonito Donaire (x2)
- Murodjon Akhmadaliev
- Ramon Cardenas
- Marlon Tapales
- Paul Butler
- Luis Nery
- Emmanuel Rodríguez
- Omar Narváez
- Jamie McDonnell
- Juan Carlos Payano
- Jason Moloney
- Adrián Hernández
“Inoue is not only pound-for-pound the best in the world, Inoue is the best fighter I’ve ever seen, no matter what weight category or anything,” said promoter Bob Arum to Jai McAllister about Naoya Inoue.
“I have never ever in the almost 60 years I’ve been in boxing seen anything like Inoue,” said Arum.
As far as Chris Williams is concerned, Inoue hasn’t tested himself by moving up to featherweight to face the sharks that would show whether he’s the thing.
If he moved up a mere four pounds to 126 to face the likes of Rafael Espinoza, Bruce Carrington, Angelo Leo, and Mirco Cuello, one could give him credit for being among the greats. But certainly, not the greatest because Inoue would still need to do far more than beat these guys to be in the top four of the Mount Rushmore of boxing.
Fans See a Pattern: Safety Over Substance
Many fans view Inoue as a cherry-picker and a fighter who chooses to play it safe by taking easy fights to pad his record rather than jumping straight in with the cream of the crop. For example, instead of Inoue facing Junto Nakatani now, he’s defending his four 122-lb belts against David Picasso on December 27th in Riyadh.
That fight is seen as another gimme for ‘The Monster’ Inoue. There is zero demand for that fight, and it’s just another one of a long line of setups that Naoya has taken rather than risk his hide fighting the apex predators that would show his true talent or lack thereof.
Last Updated on 11/12/2025
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