Japan’s undefeated Naoya Inoue, 31, will face Britain’s Sam Goodman on January 24 at Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, Japan. In a match that looks like a formality for Inoue and he should win easily. Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs) is not a threat to the Monster and we believe this should be his last fight at Super Bantamweight.
If Inoue decides to move up to featherweight, we have plenty of fighters out there ready to welcome him to that weight class in a title fight. However, his team’s plans could see him first take on a warm-up fight before facing one of the current featherweight champions.
Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza and Angelo Leo are logical candidates. Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton fought each other in February and the winner could put their name on the list. If Naoya wants to fight for a title right away. Fulton was knocked out by Inoue in 2023 in 8 rounds at super-bantamweight.
Another man in this weight class who could emerge is Robeisy Ramirez. The Cuban lost to Espinoza in a controversial fight and little is known about his medical condition following his loss to El Divino. However, his status at this weight class leaves room for Inoue to measure up if he’s already regained his health.
Nick Ball will face TJ Doheny on March 15th, which closes the possibility of both of them against Naoya soon. Rey Vargas hasn’t won since 2022 and O’Shakey Foster has yet to beat Robinson Conceição. Most likely, they will have a third match after their split decision wins in both matches.
While Naoya’s outlook at featherweight isn’t bright, boxing fans are still interested in seeing him face off at the top at 126 pounds. Continuing at 122 would be a waste of time and money for the Japanese monster. His superiority over the super bantamweight is great and we don’t see anyone being able to stop him or give him a hard fight.
We believe that in 2025, Naoya should take a step forward and move up to featherweight. Most fans want to gauge his ability against the 126-pounder. If his team in Japan decides to let him move up in weight, the opponent’s name should be important.
Naoya Inoue’s position on the LxL rosters means his featherweight opponent should be a real contender. Due to their physical advantages in height and reach, Rey Vargas and Rafael Espinoza look like very strong opponents. We do not know if the Mexicans will be able to continue in the weight for a long time. It’s possible that both should go to super featherweight, which opens up a more even compass for Inoue at this weight.
After considering all the possibilities, among the best contenders at featherweight, although it seems unlikely, we tend to think that Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez could be the chosen one. The reason is that the Cuban still holds his name at the top of that weight and Inoue’s physical disadvantages wouldn’t be as overwhelming.
Regardless of who Naoya Inoue and his team choose to make the 126-pound jump, it’s a fact that fans want to see him take on the best in that weight class. Naoya, to some, seems undefeated not only at 126 pounds, but they even see him in the future, closing out his career and dominating the super featherweight division, which seems unlikely.
For now, we’ll be content to watch him make weight and measure up against the best featherweight available in 2025. There are names that can surprise Inoue at this weight, and we can’t wait to see if he can maintain his power and dominance of at this weight.
