Boxing

Naoya Inoue Doesn't Mince Words With Gervonta 'Tank' Davis Opinion

Naoya "The Monster" Inoue made his opinion of Gervonta "Tank" Davis extremely clear.
Grant Young|
Naoya Inoue, world super bantamweight boxing champion of Japan during an April 5, 2025 press conference.
Naoya Inoue, world super bantamweight boxing champion of Japan during an April 5, 2025 press conference. | IMAGO / AFLOSPORT

While he may not be one of the best-known boxers to an American audience, true fans of the sport understand that Naoya "The Monster" Inoue is not only a current pound-for-pound great but is on a trajectory to go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

The reason Inoue (who has held multiple world championships in four different weight classes, is the only boxer ever to win the undisputed championship, and is one of three male boxers in history to become an undisputed champion in two weight classes in the "four-belt era") isn't more notorious is because most of his fights have taken place in Japan, where he's from.

However, it now seems that there will be a bigger effort to get him fighting in America as he reaches the later stages of his career.

Inoue's next fight is on May 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is against Ramon Cardenas for Inoue's undisputed junior featherweight championship. This will mark the first time Inoue has fought in America since 2021.

Inoue spoke with the media soon after arriving in Las Vegas. And at one point, he was asked about Gervonta "Tank" Davis.

"I have a lot of respect for him and I'm very fond of him as a fighter," Inoue said of Davis in translated Japanese, per Fight Hub TV. "And yeah, we basically communicate on social media."

While they aren't in the same weight class, Davis and Inoue are close enough in weight to where a super-fight between them could eventually be in the cards.

The Latest Boxing News

Insider Reveals Unfortunate Gervonta 'Tank' Davis vs Lamont Roach Rematch Update

Lamont Roach's Admission Of Gervonta Davis 'Friendship' Raises Eyebrows

'Secret' To Beating Gervonta Davis Revealed By Devin Haney's Dad

Devin Haney’s Dad Sends Lamont Roach 4-Word Warning About Gervonta Davis Rematch

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.