Inoue Vs. Tank Would Be Bad For Boxing – Here’s Why?

Naoya Inoue continues to be linked with a Gervonta Davis fight as we look at why this is bad for boxing. 

Inoue is one of the best P4P fighters in the world. He is a two-weight undisputed champion, having won all the belts at bantamweight and super bantamweight weight. He has joined the likes of Terence Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk as some other boxers to have become two-weight undisputed champs in the four-belt era.

Inoue’s Legacy

He will likely go down as a future Hall of Famer, having won belts in four weight classes. Inoue has been linked with a move up to featherweight as the Japanese continues his impressive rise. His current record stands at 30-0, with 27 knockouts to his name, having stopped his last 11 opponents. 

Meanwhile, Tank Davis is the WBA Lightweight Champion. He is coming off a majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in a fight where many felt he had lost. The referee failed to give Roach a 10-8 round despite Tank taking a voluntary knee in round 9, which cost Roach on the scorecards.

Davis has been accused of ducking the big names, having not fought Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Keyshawn Davis and Shakur Stevenson. Those names are in and around his weight class, while Tank’s biggest win was against a weight-drained Ryan Garcia. 

Why The Fight Shouldn’t Happen

There is the question of the weight. Davis boxes at 135 pounds, while Inoue is currently at 122. Although there are suggestions there could be a catchweight, the failure to put a rehydration clause would give Davis an advantage. Tank has shown that he imposes a rehydration clause against his opponents, such as against Ryan Garcia and Mario Barrios. However, he is unlikely to do that when the shoe is on the other foot. 

Inoue is also a massive name, having sold out stadiums in Japan while he transitions into the US market. He recently signed a deal with the Saudis, indicating his intention to face the best. Davis has shown that he chooses to take the least amount of risk for the most amount of money, meaning any Inoue fight would only take place if he would have a sizable weight advantage. 

Safety Concerns

Davis has not boxed at 126 pounds since 2014, when he beat German Ivan Meraz, meaning he’s unlikely to get anywhere near that weight. There is also the question of health risks. Chris Eubank Sr. was very vocal about his son, Chris Eubank Jr., coming down to 160 to face Conor Benn, who is a 147-pound fighter who moved up from 154.

While it was a thrilling fight, there were concerns for both fighters in the aftermath. Inoue’s career is currently on the rise, while Tank’s is stagnating. Eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, who is making his comeback against Mario Barrios, believes  Inoue would win such a matchup. 

“Gervonta Davis and Inoue? Inoue. Inoue. Inoue’s fast. He’s fast. Inoue, I’m proud of him, he’s from Japan in Asia, and his style is like when I was young. I feel he’s like I was when I was 115, 122 pounds,” Pacquiao said 

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