TOKYO:Japan’s undefeated Naoya Inoue admitted feeling mentally “exhausted” after knocking out Kim Ye-joon to retain his undisputed world super-bantamweight titles in Tokyo on Friday.
Inoue is now eyeing a move to Las Vegas for his next bout. He delivered yet another dominant performance in front of his Japanese fans, finishing the fight with a devastating one-two combination near the end of the fourth round.
Kim, a late replacement for Australia’s Sam Goodman, stepped in just two weeks before the fight. The original bout, scheduled for December 24, had already been postponed due to Goodman suffering an eye injury during training.
Reflecting on the disruptions, Inoue said, “I’m exhausted. More than physically, it’s been mentally challenging. My opponent changed, the fight was postponed—it’s been a tough two months. Winning is a weight off my shoulders.”
The victory improved Inoue’s record to 29-0, including 26 knockouts. He revealed plans to fight in Las Vegas this spring and is also rumored to compete in Saudi Arabia later this year after signing a sponsorship deal with Riyadh Season.
Inoue hasn’t fought outside Japan since defeating Michael Dasmarinas in Las Vegas in June 2021.
Kim Ye-joon, 32, who began boxing at 20 after growing up in an orphanage, entered the fight ranked No. 11 by the WBO. He aimed to become South Korea’s first male world champion in nearly 20 years but couldn’t withstand Inoue’s relentless fourth-round assault.
