Naoya Inoue's Father Urges Retirement After Tokyo Dome Win

Naoya Inoue's father and trainer wants his undefeated son to walk away from boxing while he is still on top.

Shingo Inoue told Yahoo! Japan News that the undisputed bantamweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super bantamweight champion has accomplished enough after his dominant victory over Junto Nakatani at Tokyo Dome on May 2. The bout, which saw Inoue defend his 122-pound titles and climb to No. 1 in The Ring's pound-for-pound rankings, generated a reported gate of $32 million — fourth-highest in boxing history. "How many more fights does he need to have? It's about time he retire already," Shingo said, per the outlet. "He can walk away cleanly while he's still a legend and at his best."

Rodriguez fight still on the table despite retirement talk

Retirement does not appear imminent. Inoue, 33 and unbeaten in 33 fights with 27 knockouts, has discussed moving up to featherweight and is reportedly in preliminary talks for a January 2027 showdown with Jesse Rodriguez in Japan, as The Ring first reported. Rodriguez, ranked No. 4 pound-for-pound and the reigning 115-pound titlist, will move up to bantamweight to face Antonio Vargas on June 13 in Glendale before any potential clash with Inoue.

Shingo acknowledged he has not spoken directly with his son about stepping away but reiterated the sentiment. "Honestly, how many more fights does he need? It's enough already," he said. Inoue has won world titles in four weight classes and remains the only active fighter to hold undisputed status in two divisions simultaneously during his career.

The Rodriguez fight, if finalised, would take place in Japan in January.

Source: ringmagazine.com