Naoya Inoue is a Japanese professional boxer that is commonly referred to as “The Monster.” Although Naoya is in the spotlight because of his career, he is also known to be from a famous athletic family. His father, Shingo Inoue is a Japanese ultramarathon and marathon runner from Hachioji, Tokyo while his younger brother, Miho Inoue is also a Japanese professional boxer who has held the WBA bantamweight title since April 2023.
Meet Naoya Inoue’s Parents
Naoya Inoue, the undisputed bantamweight champion, was born to Miho and Shingo Inoue in Zama, Kanagawa, Japan on April 10, 1993. His father was a marathon and ultramarathon competitor who was born on September 27, 1980, in Hachioji, Tokyo. Furthermore, his father is recognized for winning the 2010 IAU 24-Hour Run World Championship in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, at the age of 29 with a distance of 273.708 km. Similarly, in April 2013 Shingo Inoue prevailed in the international Tour de Taiwan Ultra-marathon with a timing of 109:25:21. His personal best in a full marathon is 2:29:12 achieved in 2013 at Katsuta Marathon, and his personal best in 100 km is 7:02:05 achieved in 2011 at Lake Saroma Ultramarathon.
On the other hand, Naoya’s mother, Miho Inoue is not mentioned to have participated professionally in any sports. However, she has been an ardent supporter of her family’s sporting career. Also, she has been spotted attending Naoya’s fight sometimes where she cheers him to victory.
Naoya Inspired His Younger Brother To Begin Wrestling
Takuma is Naoya’s younger brother. Takuma was born on December 26, 1995 in Zama, Kanagawa, Japan. He is also a Japanese professional boxer who has held the WBA bantamweight title since April 2023. More so, he previously held the WBC interim bantamweight title from 2018 to 2019 and was challenged for the full world title in 2019.
When Naoya’s brother was very young, he began boxing after seeing his older brother compete and win multiple high school championships. When Takuma was just 18 years old, he made his professional debut in 2013, after displaying a great deal of promise as an amateur. Future WBO Minimumweight World Champion Tatsuya Fukuhara (12-3) was his first opponent. Takuma defeated the much more seasoned boxer by a unanimous decision despite the fact that he was significantly outclassed. He never fought again in the light flyweight class after that. He immediately moved up to flyweight, where he faced Teeraphong Utaida, a worthy opponent. The young Japanese prodigy seemed unfazed by either the fact that he switched to a heavier weight class or the increase in rounds from 6 to 8. Takuma persevered and managed to secure yet another victory, demonstrating once more that he was a player to be taken seriously.
Takuma defeated world championship contender Nestor Daniel Narvaes (20-2) at super flyweight despite only having competed four times after knocking out Chalerm Kotala in his debut. He has so far triumphed in a number of his contests and garnered various honors, including as The Ring magazine Prospect of the Year in 2015. In addition, he was challenged for the full world title in 2019 while holding the WBC interim bantamweight title in 2018 and 2019.
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A Quick Look At Naoya Inoue’s Career Profile
From his amateur days, Inoue was able to win the Japanese Interscholastic Athletic Meeting and the Japanese Junior National Championships in the year 2009. He won the Japanese Junior Selection Tournament in 2010 and earned the bronze medal in the Asian Youth Championships in Tehran, Iran. Later, he competed in the AIBA Youth World Championships, but in the third preliminary round, Yosvany Veita defeated him. In the same year, he placed second at the Japanese National Championships.
He won the gold medal at the 21st President’s Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, in July 2011. The next year, he took first place in the Japanese Interscholastic Athletic Meeting. But at the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan’s 2011 World Amateur Boxing Championships, Yosvany Veita knocked him out in the third round. Inoue also lost to Birzhan Zhakypov in the 2012 Asian Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament championship match in Astana, Kazakhstan. He has a 75-6 amateur record (48 KOs and RSCs).
He went pro in 2012
Inoue made his professional debut in 2012 after joining Ohashi Boxing Gym. He freely agreed with Hideyuki Ohashi that he would never engage in combat with an easy opponent. Inoue made his professional debut on October 2, 2012, defeating Crison Omayao, the national champion of the Philippines, in the fourth round. He won his subsequent two fights against the Thai national champion Ngaoprajan Chuwatana and the top-ranked light flyweight fighter in Japan, Yki Sano. On August 25, 2013, Inoue defeated Ryoichi Taguchi, the WBA’s third-ranked contender, and the eventual WBA, IBF, and Ring magazine light flyweight champion, to win the Japanese light flyweight championship. Thought to be Inoue’s hardest test to date, he ultimately prevailed and thoroughly outclassed Taguchi over ten rounds.
On December 6, 2013, he competed in a bout for the vacant OPBF light flyweight title, which was part of the Yaegashi-Sosa program. Inoue won the regional championship by TKOing Jerson Mancio in the fifth round. His younger brother Takuma Inoue won his professional debut earlier that day by unanimous decision.
With an 88% knockout ratio, Inoue is renowned for his timing, speed, hitting force, and body-punching ability. He held the WBA (Super), IBF, and Ring magazine titles between 2019 and January 2023 as well as the WBC and WBO titles between 2022 and January 2023. He is a four-division world champion and the current undisputed bantamweight world champion as at the time of writing.
Is Naoya Inoue Married?
According to asianboxing.info, Naoya Inoue is married. He reportedly married his long-term girlfriend in 2015. Also according to sources, the pair have been together since high school and they got their marriage registered at the Kanagawa City Hall. Similarly, Richathletes.com was able to discover that the Japanese professional fighter is a proud father of 3; including 1 boy and 2 girls. He announced the birth of his first child on October 7, 2017. He also announced the birth of the 2nd on December 11, 2019, while his last baby girl’s birth was announced on April 4, 2021. All the announcements were done through Naoya’s official Instagram page.
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