The two phantoms of the lighter-weight divisions, Gervonta Davis and Naoya Inoue might never face each other in the ring. Such a matchup would be a dream come true for many boxing fans. However, the Japanese ‘Monster’ has declined such possibilities yet again. His reason for this refusal lies in a crucial point of debate in boxing circles.

In December last year, Inoue made history by emerging 2x undisputed. It is a feat that only Terence Crawford and Claressa Shields have been able to achieve in the four-belt era. In the wake of such a historic win over Filipino southpaw, Marlon Tapales, fans rallied for the Yokohama-based fighter to compete against his power-punching contemporary in the lightweight division, Gervonta Davis. The proposition was thrashed immediately by Davis. Now, Inoue has concurred with ‘Tank’ on this front, arguing that no matter how lucrative the fight could prove to be, there remains a bigger responsibility he’d rather tend to.

Money does not cover it all

For the 30-year-old fighter, who emerged undisputed in the Bantamweight division in 2022 and Super Bantamweight, last year, his stint in the ring is way beyond lucrative fights and notable wins. He remains loyal to his responsibility toward the sport, which is exactly why his moving beyond featherweight is out of the question, according to him.

Daisuke Sugiura, a contributor to Ring Magazine quizzed the fighter on this front in their profiling for the publication. He quizzed the fighter if he would ever face Davis even if the odds and payday were in his favor. “No”, declared the undefeated fighter. For a while now, with significant money being poured into boxing at large, the sport has witnessed big names choosing fat checks over important fights. When WBC heavyweight titlist, Tyson Fury fought newbie, Francis Ngannou in a lucrative Saudi clash, the same criticisms were levied against him.

However, Inoue steers clear of this culture. He notes, “I always want to show the best Naoya Inoue. I wouldn’t decide to start fighting at featherweight or super featherweight just because the money is good. I don’t think that’s what I want. There are many fighters who have chased the money but ended up not being able to perform well and quit. The reason I box is not for the money; I do this to show my best self.”

His argument is, “It’s also true that I’m motivated by fighting strong opponents, but there are weight divisions in boxing for a reason.” The weight discrepancy between Davis and him has been a major barrier in getting a clash between them to happen. Tank too cited the same reason when asked about his stance on fighting the Monster.

Gervonta Davis’ take on Naoya Inoue fight

Last year, while replying to a Twitter page that pushed the possibility of Davis fighting Inoue, Tank remarked, “I’m not fighting him. He’s NO WHERE near my weight. [I don’t know] why this page keep posting s*** like this.”

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For Inoue, his boxing career saturates at the featherweight division. While he remains ambitious about taking three fights in the light featherweight this year, his move to the upper weight divisions depends on how his body feels by the end of those fights. With this explanation coming directly from him, fans can rest assured that Naoya Inoue vs. Gervonta Davis is a fight that possibly will never see the light of day.

Do you agree with his explanation? Let us know in the comments section below.

Also Read: Naoya Inoue Gives Humble Response on Being Compared to #1 Pound for Pound Terence Crawford