Naoya Inoue, Japan on top of the boxing world; Philippines down to just eight listed fighters
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 03 Aug 2022
Naoya Inoue (C).
It would take more than trash talk and seven figure purse offer if any promoter would be convinced to put it up, for Johnriel Casimero to lure Naoya Inoue to a fight.
The possibility of a clash with Inoue becomes even more remote as the so called Japanese "Monster" has taken over as the top pound for pound fighter in the world per latest Ring Magazine ranking.
Speaking of Inoue in its latest pound for pound ranking, Anson Wainright of the Ring has this to say:
"The big punching Japanese “Monster” has lived up to his moniker, devouring all before him en route to claiming world titles at 108, 115 and 118 pounds. The 29-year-old holds wins over Omar Narvaez (KO 2), Jamie McDonnell (TKO 1), Juan Carlos Payano (KO 1) and Emmanuel Rodriguez (KO 2). However, it’s his triumphs over four-weight world champion Nonito Donaire that provided Inoue with considerable acclaim. He edged Donaire (UD 12) in an instant classic that was later named Fight of the Year and stopped him in the second round of recent rematch. Inoue is Ring, IBF, WBA and WBC bantamweight titleholder.
Inoue would like to become undisputed champion. For that to happen, he would have to face WBO counterpart Paul Butler, and that bout could happen in the fall. A step up to 122 pounds would likely be next."
Alas, that next opponent would have been Casimero had "Angas" not goofed off---not once but twice!--- in his supposed mandatory title defense against the aforementioned Paul Butler who later ascended to the throne via what amounted as BBBOC-WBO "sauna disqualification decision."
Though Inoue remains the only Japanese boxer in the Ring top ten pound for pound fighters with Russian bruiser Arthur Beterbiev easing out WBO flyweight champion Junto Nakatani for the final slot, most other Japanese champions and fighters either kept or improve their lofty rankings in the latest Ring Divisional Ratings.
Nakatani though is listed as number one at flyweight.
Meanwhile, WBO titlist Masataka Taniguchi is top 3 at straw weight or minimumweight, WBA-Ring unified champion Hiroto Kyoguchi and WBC titlist Kenshiro Teraji are 1-2 at light flyweight, WBO champion Kazuto Ioka is # 2 at super flyweight Of course, Inoue is king of the bantamweights.
Other Japanese in the latest Ring Divisional Ratings include the promising brothers pair of Yudai and Ginjiro Shigeoka who are #8 and # 10 at minimumweight, Masamachi Yabuki and Shokichi Iwata are # 5 and 10 at light flyweight and Kosei Tanaka is rated 9 at flyweight.
In all, eleven Japanese fighters are listed in the Ring, the most by any Asian country.
On the other hand, the Philippines which has rivaled Japan as the best Asian boxing nation, saw its Ring rated fighters reduced to eight, none currently world titleholder.
The remaining Ring ranked fighters are led by defrocked WBO bantamweight champion Johnriel Casimero who nonetheless still improved to #1 to Ring champion Naoya Inoue. Casimero however may drop down or even be removed from the rankings if he remains inactive.
Other rated Pinoys included just deposed WBC featherweight titleholder Mark Magsayo who is at #3 at 126 lbs., former multi division world champion and two time world bantamweight titlist Nonito Donaire who is rated #5 at bantamweight, down from #1, former long time IBF super flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas who is also demoted to #7 at 115 lbs., former IBF minimumweight titlists Rene Cuarto and Pedro Taduran who are listed at #7 and #9 respectively at 105 lbs., former WBO bantamweight titlist Marlon Tapales who is listed at #7 at super bantamweight where he is also the next IBF mandatory challenger and the upset conscious Vincent Astrolabio who is #9 at bantamweight.
Conspicuously now out of the Ring divisional rankings is former multi division and WBO super flyweight titlist Donnie Nietes who even was at one time with the now retired boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in the Ring top ten pound for pound list a few years back. Nietes lost in his bid to retake the WBO flyweight crown dropping a unanimous decision to Ioka in Japan recently.
Thailand has four, mostly at minimumweight where WBA titlist Thamanoon Niyomtrong aka Knockout CP Freshmart and current WBC titlist Pechmanee CP Freshmart are rated 1 and 2 and former WBC titlist Wanheng Menayothin is at #4. Former two time WBC titlist Srisaket Sor Rungvusai is rated #6 at super flyweight.
The Ring Pound for Pound Top Ten
( as of July 30, 2022)
1. Naoya Inoue, Japan (bantamweight)
2. Oleksander Usyk, Ukraine ( heavyweight)
3. Terrence Crawford, USA (welterweight)
4. Errol Spence, USA (welterweight)
5. Saul Canelo Alvarez, Mexico ( super middleweight)
6. Vasily Lomachenko, Ukraine (lightweight)
7. Dmitri Bivol, Russia ( light heavyweight)
8. Josh Taylor, UK ( super lightweight)
9. Jamel Charlo, USA ( middleweight)
10. Arthur Beterbiev, Russia ( light heavyweight)
Out of the top ten is Ring Magazine lineal world flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico who got bumped by #9 Charlo of the USA.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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