Naoya Inoue Reflects On His Toughest Opponent Ahead Of Picasso Fight [Exclusive]

Inoue's fight against his toughest opponent was fight of the year.

Inoue named Donaire as the best he ever faced | IMAGO / AFLOSPORT

Asked who the best he ever faced, Naoya Inoue (31-0, 27 KOs) didn’t hesitate to give a name.

“Nonito Donaire,” he told KO On SI.

Donaire, 43, was seen in the ring on December 17th when he lost a split decision to Japan’s Seiya Tsutsumi during their World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight clash in Tokyo. Had he won, Donaire (43-9, 28 KOs) would have broken his own record to become the oldest champion in the history of that division. Instead, he lost a close split decision.

Inoue Talks Donaire

Nonito Donaire | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

“I saw the fight between Tsutsumi and Donaire. It was a close, very good fight. Both of them were going forward. In the first half of the fight, I thought Donaire was winning. I thought Tsutsumi took over the second half of the fight," Inoue said in an exclusive interview.

Inoue had been following Donaire’s career when the Japanese fighter was still in high school. However, he didn’t seriously consider him an opponent until both joined the World Boxing Super Series and eventually met in the Bantamweight championship for the Muhammad Ali trophy in November 2019.

In their fight, Inoue overcame a broken orbital bone, which made him see double, to earn a tough win over a gutsy Donaire.

The rematch on June 7, 2022, hardly lived up to the accolades of the first fight and, in some respects, damaged its legacy. Again in Japan, Inoue unified the titles with a second-round stoppage of Donaire to win the WBA, IBF, & WBC Bantamweight Titles.

After that loss, Donaire’s career appeared to be slipping away from him. Donaire fought once more in a tilt for the WBC bantamweight title and then appeared to hang them up in late 2023.

Not so fast. Donaire returned to boxing this year, inspired by countryman Manny Pacquiao's comeback. He beat Andrés Campos for the interim WBA title in Argentina in June.

Manny Pacquiao fights Mario Barrios at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The 46-year old was held to a draw. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The fight between the two was the best fight of the last decade. It won the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year Award for that year. Inoue said that, along with winning the Sugar Ray Robinson award, that honor was the greatest non-championship accolade of his impressive boxing career.

“Between those two awards, I couldn’t choose. They mean a lot,” said Inoue through a translator.

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