Naoya Inoue Becomes First Japanese Boxer to Make ¥1 Billion in One Night

It’s pretty wild. Naoya Inoue hasn’t even stepped out of Japan for a fight, but he’s like the poster child for boxing in the land of the rising sun. Just the other day, on May 5, Naoya Inoue made history in Japanese boxing by taking down Luis Nery and raking in a cool ¥1 billion in a single night. More impressively, he was just coming off of another pivotal fight!

In his last outing, the ‘Monster’ Inoue defeated Marlon Tapales to unify the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO world titles at the super bantamweight division. He became only the second male boxer to achieve undisputed status in two distinct divisions. But, of course, that wasn’t enough for the unbeaten star of Japan. Revelations from his manager, Hideyuki Ohashi, post-fight unveiled yet another milestone in Inoue’s illustrious career. TalkSport editor Michael Benson later picked it up on X.

Naoya Inoue could double his earnings in the next fight

After the ‘Monster’ demolished his opponent with a sixth-round technical knockout, Benson wrote in his tweet yesterday, “Naoya Inoue’s manager Hideyuki Ohashi has said Inoue became the first Japanese boxer to earn ¥1billion (£5m/$6.5m) in one night for the Luis Nery fight.” However, that’s not the end of the good news for Inoue.

Benson revealed, “[He] could double that to ¥2 billion (£10m/$13m) for his next fight if he accepts an offer from His Excellency Turki Alalshikh.” If Inoue seizes this opportunity from the Saudi Royal, it will mark his first fight outside Japan. The potential increase in his earnings is a testament to his growing stature in the sport, a fact that shouldn’t come as a surprise after his blockbuster performance. 

However, Inoue also notched another first of his career in the same fight, something he might not be exactly proud of. 

Inoue found motivation in adversity

While it’s undeniable that Inoue completely dominated his Mexican opponent in the fight, the journey to victory wasn’t without its challenges. In fact, in the very first round, Nery stunned the 50,000-strong crowd at Tokyo Dome by knocking down Inoue for the first time in his career. Yet, the ‘Monster’ demonstrated his true strength by rising to his feet and unleashing a ferocious assault like never before.

He dropped Nery in the second and fifth before sending him to the canvas for the last time in the sixth via a brutal right hook. After the fight concluded, Inoue said, “I don’t remember anything my dad [head trainer Shingo Inoue] told me [during] the intermission, but that [knockdown] happening gave me good motivation.”

Naoya Inoue undoubtedly deserves his new accomplishment, but the bigger question is—is it as significant? Since boxers like Gervonta Davis make such dough in non-title fights. What are your thoughts?