Naoya Inoue Great Already, But How Far Can He Climb?

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by Butch Belga

Japanese boxing sensation Naoya Inoue.
Japanese boxing sensation Naoya Inoue. Photo: British Boxing News.

Naoya Inoue is a marvel to watch. Blinding handspeed, crushing power, icy composure. He doesn’t just beat world champions, he strips them of their aura. ESPN once said he’s “not just the best boxer alive, but an all-time great writing history in real time.”

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: highlight reels don’t make legends. Resumes do. And while Inoue’s wins over Nonito Donaire and Stephen Fulton were eye-catching, they’re not yet the kind of defining victories that carve your name into boxing’s Mount Rushmore. Donaire was past his prime, and Fulton, while slick, wasn’t the monster every era remembers.

We’ve seen this storyline before. Adrien Broner was once hailed as “the next Mayweather,” the savior of the sport. Then Marcos Maidana smashed the illusion in one brutal night. Inoue is far more disciplined than Broner ever was, but the lesson remains: hype looks bulletproof until it isn’t.

For Inoue, the test waiting in the shadows is Shakur Stevenson. He’s not like anyone Inoue has faced—rangy, patient, defensive, suffocating. He won’t give Inoue the openings he’s used to. Shakur doesn’t fold; he forces you to question yourself. That’s the fight that would tell us everything about “The Monster.”

Naoya Inoue dominated Murodjon Akhmadaliev in his latest fight.
Naoya Inoue dominated Murodjon Akhmadaliev in his latest fight. Photo: Top Rank.

And here’s the thing: true legends never settle. Manny Pacquiao didn’t stop at flyweight. Floyd Mayweather didn’t stop at super feather. Terence Crawford didn’t stop at 140—he kept climbing, conquering, silencing doubts at every level.

That’s the standard. That’s what greatness demands.

Some fans argue Inoue has “done enough.” But that’s not faith—it’s fear. It’s the quiet admission they think he might lose at lightweight. It’s like a team leading at halftime begging the referee to end the game early. But the second half is where greatness lives.

Naoya Inoue is already one of the best of this era. Nobody disputes that. But if he wants to stand alongside Pacquiao, Mayweather, and Crawford, he has to take the climb to 135 and meet Stevenson.

Great fighters inspire the question, “Who’s next?” Good fighters hear, “That’s enough.”

Inoue’s choice isn’t about belts anymore. It’s about legacy. Will he climb the next mountain—or stay where it’s safe?

That, more than his knockouts, will define him.