Crawford Aims For Greatness Vs Canelo; Inoue Takes Path of Least Resistance
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 15 Jan 2025
Saudi sports mogul Turki Alalshikh repeated what many boxing pundits and sages have been saying all along. That it is okay to lose as long as it is in fights for greatness, especially those that would test the limits of one's abilities against all odds.
In another dig at Floyd Mayweather, Jr and other modern fighters who cherished their unblemished pro boxing records, Alalshikh said that it is high time to accept the possibility or inevitability of defeat as long as it is in a fight for greatness.
This truism has long been resonating in the minds of champion fighters as Terrence Crawford, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitri Bivol. That is why Crawford is moving up two divisions up to challenge undisputed super middleweight champion Saul Canelo Alvarez. And that is why Beterbiev and Bivol are going at it again for the undisputed light heavyweight championship this February in Saudi Arabia in a card put up by Alalshikh himself who has said he is ready to support any fight, as long as it a challenge for greatness.
However, this opportunity for greatness seems oblivious to Naoya Inoue and his camp as they are taking a clear path of least resistance in subbing a lowly ranked Korean, Ye Joon Kim in place of the oft-injured original Australian challenger Sam Goodman on January 24th.
Okay, granted the window is short to secure another rated contender from abroad to salvage the twice postponed promotion. But is getting Ye who was originally set to fight in the undercard as replacement the best possible option under the circumstances?
How about sourcing from Japan a suitable opponent from the ranks of the country's super bantamweights who I believe are better than Ye or better yet, even featherweights inasmuch as Naoya would like to test the water at 126 lbs. For instance, there's the youthful undefeated Mikito Nakano whose scheduled OPBF featherweight title bout against a fellow Japanese on Jan 18 could be deferred. Then there's Keisuke Makoto, another undefeated featherweight who is rated #14 by boxrec.
I recall then world bantamweight champion Fighting Harada taking on opponents as heavy as junior lightweight in overweight non title bouts when he was not defending his world belt. That's what differentiated him from Inoue. And that prepared him for his world featherweight challenge after he lost his bantamweight title.
And what about Johnriel Casimero who is handled by a Japanese promoter? He has not fought since kayoing Saul Sanchez last year. He has always been clamoring for a fight against Naoya, even if is a non title bout. He has been priming for that fight. I think he is always ready but the JBC clamped a year suspension on him.
However, if the JBC could give exemption to Luis Nery who was previously clamped a life time ban by the JBC for the opportunity to fight Inoue, why can't they give the same treatment to Casimero?
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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