Inoue Tells Team To Stop Him When Decline Comes

Naoya Inoue has instructed his father and trainer to pull him out of boxing the moment they see him slipping.

The Ring's No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer sat down with the publication at Korakuen Hall on August 19 for an extensive interview covering his May 2 decision win over Junto Nakatani at Tokyo Dome and his thinking on the back half of his career. Inoue, 32, said he has given explicit instructions to his father Shingo and chairman Hideyuki Ohashi to advise him to retire if they detect signs of decline. "I'm the one who told him that," Inoue said, per The Ring. "If I try to decide for myself when it's time to quit, I probably won't be able to do it."

Inoue On Nakatani Win And Future Plans

Reflecting on the Nakatani fight, Inoue said he fought with a points calculation in mind rather than chasing a knockout. He told The Ring he felt in control throughout and believed he was winning by a wider margin than the judges ultimately scored it. Inoue described Nakatani as more difficult to deal with than simply strong, citing the challenger's size and reach as factors that required careful navigation.

Inoue said he wants to retire undefeated while still performing at a high level and acknowledged the temptation to continue fighting makes self-assessment unreliable. He has expressed interest in moving to featherweight eventually, though no next opponent has been officially announced. The Monster said future opponents will need both legitimate status and the ability to provide an entertaining fight, adding that any fighter capable of meeting one standard at this level likely meets the other as well.

Inoue has held The Ring's top pound-for-pound spot multiple times over the past two years and said he wants to have fights that justify the ranking for as long as possible.

Source: ringmagazine.com