IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Bob Arum Believes This Fight Is Better Than Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated May 24, 2025 1:22 PM ET

The boxing community is counting down the days to when pound-for-pound greats Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford will square off in the ring in September. Given what both fighters have accomplished in their respective careers (and the stardom they've amassed as a result of their success), it's hard to imagine a more compelling fight that could be made right now.

However, boxing is on fire right now, as the sweet science has a plethora of superstars and fascinating fights. Two of these superstars hail from Japan; one being undefeated pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue, with the other being Junto Nakatani.

While both Inoue and Nakatani have difficult fights lined up in the coming months (10-0 southpaw Ryosuke Nishida for Nakatani on June 8 and Inoue is expected to fight Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs) in September if he wins his next fight), it seems that Inoue and Nakatani will face each other after that if all goes according to plan.

Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani, who do you think would win this Japanese super fight? pic.twitter.com/tZeZ97zo3t
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 14, 2025

Legendary Top Rank Boxing CEO Bob Arum did an interview with Ring Magazine that was posted on May 24. And he shared a strong sentiment regarding this Inoue vs. Nakatani showdown.

“A lot of people say that Nakatani is the guy that could beat Inoue,” Arum said. “That’s why it’s such a big fight. That’s a real, real fight. People who really know and follow those lower weight divisions, they think that’s as interesting a fight, if not more so, than Canelo and Crawford. And it’ll be the biggest fight ever in the history of Japan.”

He later added, “All of these Japanese fighters in these lighter weight divisions, all the top guys, they can really fight. They’re really disciplined. The guy Nakatani is fighting is very awkward and a southpaw. But Nakatani is well trained. I think, next to Inoue, Nakatani is the best Japanese fighter out there.”

Bob Arum tells The Ring that Naoya Inoue vs Junto Nakatani will be the biggest fight in the history of Japan. pic.twitter.com/Y2Tn8ir8JB
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 24, 2025