Naoya Inoue’s Father Pleads for Son to Make Major Career Decision

Naoya Inoue's May 2 outing against Junto Nakatani earned 'The Monster' the biggest win of his career. Despite being handed some problems by his fellow countryman, the undisputed super bantamweight champion retained his titles via unanimous decision.

The biggest boxing match in Japanese history, and one of the largest spectacles in recent years of the sport, further established Inoue as one of the modern greats. It even propelled Inoue to No. 1 in the pound-for-pound rankings. There are still notable fights potentially in the future for the 33-year-old.

However, despite still seemingly being at the peak of his powers, Inoue's father has called for the fighter to retire.

Shingo Inoue believes Naoya has already proven himself enough

Boxers have often hung up their gloves while still at the top of the sport, many of whom sailed into the sunset with their unbeaten records intact. Modern examples include Terence Crawford and Floyd Mayweather, and Inoue's father, Shingo, wants him to follow suit.

Speaking to Yahoo! Japan News, Inoue was clear in regard to what he wants next for his son.

How many more fights does he need to have? It's about time he retired already."
Shingo Inoue

Although Inoue looked excellent just a matter of weeks ago, Inoue's father does not think he has anything more to prove to boxing. "He can walk away cleanly while he's still a legend and at his best."

Despite being vocal about these feelings, Shingo Inoue revealed he has not explicitly told the pound-for-pound star his thoughts.

“I haven’t talked to him directly about it, but honestly, how many more fights does he need? It’s enough already. He can retire suddenly while still a legend and while he’s still great.”

Nakatani was considered by the masses to be the biggest threat to Inoue's titles and legacy, with many clamoring for the matchup long before it was made official. Although the chess match between Japanese superstars has concluded, Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez is being slated as Inoue's next test.

Currently ranked as the number four pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Ring Magazine, the current super flyweight champion has been vocal about a fight with Inoue.

The American fighter is set to ascend to the bantamweight division in his next bout, but will still remain one weight class short of Inoue.

Although Inoue has not indicated that he has a desire to retire, it is also unclear who, or when, his next fight will be.

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