Steve Wellings
Apr 10 2025
On the day he turns 32 we look back at some of the best wins so far. Any list could extend well beyond five, but we’ve whittled it down to a fistful of ferocious finishes from the prime Japanese destroyer.
Welcoming Inoue to the bantamweight division, McDonnell was talking a good game in the build-up. He looked badly weight-drained as well come the weigh-in. Naoya showed no mercy, smashing him inside a round that made Sky Sports commentators and the UK audience take note.
WON KO2 Emmanuel Rodriguez - The SSE Hydro, Glasgow - 18/5/2019
One of Inoue’s most devastating displays came in the semi-final of the World Boxing Super Series. The Japanese puncher was fired up and ready for action from the opening bell, busting open Rodriguez’s nose, dropping his man thrice on the way to a second-round statement.
WON KO2 Omar Narvaez - Metropolitan Gym, Tokyo - 30/12/2014
Stepping up to super-flyweight, Inoue showed that he was on course to becoming the real deal by dishing out a spiteful two-round blitz of dependable Argentine southpaw Narvaez. This was the only time Omar was stopped during his esteemed 55-bout career.
WON TKO2 Nonito Donaire II - Super Arena, Saitama - 7/6/2022
The first time this pair met, Donaire did a lot better than people expected, causing Inoue issues with his power and experience. One judge even scored it for the Japanese fighter by virtue of a knockdown. Inoue settled the rematch in devastating fashion, knocking down Donaire early before smashing him away in the second round.
WON TKO8 Stephen Fulton - Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku - 25/7/2023
In a week of big finishes, just four days before Terence Crawford dealt with generational rival Errol Spence Jr, over in Japan, Inoue dealt with Stephen Fulton in emphatically one-sided fashion. Boxing, moving, showboating, throwing and landing every shot in the book, Inoue was at his most ruthless.
