Home » Inoue gets JBC nod as Japan’s ‘Boxer of the Year’

Inoue gets JBC nod as Japan’s ‘Boxer of the Year’

Undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) was the unanimous choice as  Japan’s “Boxer of the Year” on Monday.

The 30-year-old Zama, Kanagawa, native was picked by the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC), as well as Tokyo’s Sportswriters Association for the seventh time and sixth-straight year.

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Inoue claimed the WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF, and Ring super bantamweight titles after clinching big wins over Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales in his last two bouts. The fighter, also known as “The Monster,” is coming off a 10th-round knockout victory over Tapales in December last year.

“I wish to keep winning until the end of my career,” Inoue said, as reported by Fightnews.com.

The Inoue vs Fulton fight, which the Japanese won via an eighth-round TKO on July 25, 2023, was tagged as world Fight of the Year. The fighter’s father, Shingo Inoue, was named Best Trainer.

Tenshin Nasukawa took Rookie citation honors, while WBO junior bantam champ Mizuki Hiruta won as Female Boxer of the Year. WBO junior bantam fighter Junto Nakatani was cited for “Valuable victory” honors.

Former Japanese bantam king Seiya Tsutsumi was honored with the “Efforts” award, while WBC and WBA light flyweight champ Kenshiro Teraji was cited for best “Technique.”