Stepping into the ring with Naoya Inoue – arguably the most feared boxer in the world – on just 13 days notice says one of two things about a person’s character.
In a sense, their remarkable degree of confidence must indicate that, somewhere within Inoue’s repertoire of elite attacks, they have identified some chinks in the armor.
Admittedly, that’s not outside the realm of possibility, but given the Japanese star’s tremendous rise over 28 professional outings, it’s perhaps something that, if true, has largely remained unnoticed.
Likewise, the bold decision to take on Inoue, 28-0 (25 KOs), on such short notice could also be inspired by a level of bravery; one that, whether justified or linked more to deception, can be a difficult trait to harness.
Either way, Ye Joon Kim, 21-2-2 (13 KOs), who replaced an injured Sam Goodman, will soon discover what it means to share the ring with a generational talent.
After all, Inoue has been wreaking havoc in the lower divisions for over a decade, and he’ll look to resume his ruthless streak at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, this Friday.
But while the undisputed super bantamweight king has put in impeccable performances against the likes of Stephen Fulton and Andrew Moloney, two former world champions, there have also been a few occasions when he has been forced to overcome moments of adversity.
In his first encounter with Nonito Donaire, for example, Inoue only emerged victorious after making the necessary adjustments to regain his control, stamping his authority on the championship rounds.
Similarly, against Luis Nery last year, ‘El Monstruo’ showed his mettle by getting back to his feet after suffering a heavy knockdown in the first round.
In doing so, the 31-year-old has shown that even when his back seems to be against the wall, he will always find a way to win.
Kim, meanwhile, has yet to prove he possesses even a shred of Inoue’s quality, with his most recent loss coming against Rob Diezel, who has a 14-9 professional record, in 2023.
And so while the 32-year-old can draw comparisons to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao – knowing the nickname ‘Pacquiweather’ – a convincing stoppage victory for Inoue, perhaps even in the first three rounds, is a very likely outcome.
