Naoya Inoue focused on Korean with bright lights of Vegas on horizon

South Korea’s Kim Ye-joon (R) and Japan’s Naoya Inoue (L) pose during the official weigh-in ahead of their world super-bantamweight title boxing bout in Yokohama on January 23, 2025. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)

Japan’s unbeaten Naoya Inoue said Wednesday he wants to lay down a marker in his world title bout against South Korean rank-outsider Kim Ye-joon before taking his prodigious talents to Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia later this year.

Undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Inoue defends his titles in Tokyo on Friday against Kim, who stepped in just two weeks before the fight to replace the injured Australian Sam Goodman.

READ: Naoya Inoue opponent confident despite last-minute switch

Inoue signed a sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season last year and is expected to fight in Las Vegas in April, with a potential bout in Saudi Arabia later in the year.

Inoue, nicknamed “Monster”, knows that he will have to beat Kim first to make a splash outside of Japan.

“This year I will have fights in the US and then Saudi Arabia so this fight in two days’ time is very important for me,” said Inoue, who has a 28-0 record with 25 knockouts.

“I hope that my contract with Riyadh will accelerate my boxing career. Even if my opponent changes, what I need to do doesn’t change. I just need to get a result.”

READ: Naoya Inoue hunger not yet sated after unifying second weight division

The 31-year-old Inoue has not fought outside Japan since he beat Michael Dasmarinas in Las Vegas in June 2021.

Promoter Bob Arum said discussions were under way for Inoue to fight at “a big venue in Las Vegas” this year.

“Naoya is the face of boxing, so when you can bring the face of boxing to your country, it’s a big, big thing,” said Arum.

“Everybody in the United States, everyone who is interested in boxing, is interested in Inoue coming to the United States to fight.”

Japan’s Naoya Inoue poses during the official weigh-in ahead of his world super-bantamweight title boxing bout against South Korea’s Kim Ye-joon in Yokohama on January 23, 2025. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)

Inoue was originally scheduled to face Goodman in Tokyo on December 24 but the fight was postponed when the Australian suffered a cut above his eye in training.

Goodman then pulled out again with a recurrence of the injury and Kim was brought in as a last-minute replacement.

Inoue said the disruptions had not affected his concentration.

READ: Naoya Inoue draws comparisons to Manny Pacquiao

“Maybe some boxers can’t properly deal with their opponent changing at the last minute, but for me, whoever I am facing I know I have a wide range of skills.”

The 32-year-old Kim has a 21-2-2 record with 13 knockouts and is ranked No. 11 by the WBO in the super-bantamweight division.

He has the chance to become South Korea’s first world champion in over 15 years.

“It’s an honour for any boxer to face Inoue, and it’s a great chance for me,” said Kim, who grew up in an orphanage and did not take up boxing until he was 20.

“I definitely won’t make it easy for him and I want to show what I’m made of until the end.”