We analyse the credentials and statistics of pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue and South Korean contender Ye Joon-Kim as the pair get set to contest an undisputed super-bantamweight championship showdown in Tokyo on Friday 24th January, 2025.
In Japan one senses that it doesn’t matter who Naoya Inoue fights, because people will still turn up in droves to watch ‘The Monster’.
The undisputed super-bantamweight champion is box office in his homeland and you only have to watch his ring walks at the Ariake Arena or the Tokyo Dome to get a sense of the electricity he creates without even throwing a punch.
This Friday afternoon, the boxing phenom makes his 2025 bow against South Korea’s Ye Joon-Kim, who will be stepping in at short notice to replace the injured Sam Goodman.
Like many others who have come and tried before him, the big question is does Joon-Kim possess the quality within his locker to threaten the seemingly unbeatable Inoue?
Before we find out, it's time to take a look at the 'Tale of the Tape'...
Naoya Inoue | Ye Joon-Kim | |
Age: | 31 | 23 |
Nickname: | 'The Monster' | 'Troublemaker' |
Height: | 5ft 5ins | 5ft 4ins |
Reach: | 67.5ins | 64ins |
Weight: | Super-bantamweight | Super-bantamweight |
Trainer: | Shingo Inoue | N/A |
Record: | 28-0 (25 KOs) | 21-2-2 (13 KOs) |
Last Fight: | Won (TKO) v TJ Doheny (September 2024) | Won (TKO) v Rakesh Lohchab (May 2024) |
Naoya Inoue does everything in spectacular fashion.
When Luis Nery chinned him in the first round of their pulsating clash last year, Inoue went down as if it was a Hollywood fight scene.
He recovered and finished the fight in round six… spectacularly!
Nery and Nonito Donaire are two opponents who gave the great Inoue a problem to solve, and, on each occasion, including the rematch against Donaire, he did so in a way that only the elite can.
That is the biggest concern for any fighter in the way of Inoue, not just Ye Joon-Kim.
You may think you have Inoue hurt, figured out and in trouble, but it’s a false dawn - Inoue is dangerous going forward and equally as dangerous in retreat.
So, if the first shot doesn’t connect then the second will followed up by a blitz of punches.
When studying Inoue, unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk or former undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford - three generational greats - the only thing standing between them and retiring undefeated is father time, and how far they risk pushing the envelope.
In every one of Inoue’s 28 fights so far, it’s been a case of when, not if, he beats the man in front of him, which gives Ye Joon-Kim next to no hope.
Many expect this to be another blowout success for the Japanese sensation, one that could come as soon as the first, or possibly second round.
Strengths | Weaknesses |
Knockout power | Takes risks at times |
Closing distance | Concentration |
Counter punching | Complacency |
Quick adjustments |
Sometimes you can find a glimmer of hope for any boxing underdog, but when the only salvation comes from the fact that 'anything can happen in this sport', then you tend to know that you're in trouble.
Nobody can blame Ye Joon-Kim for stepping in to replace Sam Goodman - after all, it’s an unexpected opportunity in front of a global audience and the chance to earn a career high payday.
The 32-year-old comes into his 26th fight having won successive fights following a loss against Rob Diezel.
That defeat, during an eight-round bout, inside a college gymnasium in Auburn, Alabam,a shows the magnitude of the task facing Kim this Friday afternoon.
Diezel, 15-10 (4 KOs) and Kim were of a similar level and both had their moments during an entertaining scrap.
The American, however, is not a noted puncher nor is he someone you would describe as world-class.
Kim hasn’t really dipped his toes into the world scene and now he’s days away from facing one of the 21st century’s greatest fighters.
It is a challenge that far better fighters than him have found too tough, and been brutally punished for even stepping up to test themselves against the man they call 'The Monster'.
Don't expect too many surprises this time around either - it could end in devastating fashion for the courageous Korean.
Strengths | Weaknesses |
Lead left hand | Lacks power |
Combinations | Sits in the pocket for too long |
Work-rate | Repetitive patterns |
Steely | Defence |