Inoue Reveals Plan To Retire Undefeated

Naoya Inoue has told his father and trainer to pull the plug on his career the moment they see him slipping.

The Ring's No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer sat down with the magazine at Korakuen Hall this week and said he gave the instruction himself because he cannot trust his own judgment when the time comes. "I've told my father and Hideyuki Ohashi, the chairman, that if they see signs of decline, they should stop me," Inoue said, per The Ring's exclusive interview. "I want to retire while I'm still good, while I'm still in a good place."

Inoue On Nakatani Win And Future Plans

The 32-year-old super bantamweight champion has not fought since outpointing Junto Nakatani at Tokyo Dome on May 2. Looking back on that bout, Inoue said he fought with point calculations in mind rather than hunting a knockout. He felt in control throughout and estimated his own score at 117-111 before the cards came back slightly tighter. Nakatani's size and reach made him difficult rather than outright strong, Inoue explained, adding that people underestimated how hard it would be to dominate a fighter already in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Inoue said he has no plans to face opponents who offer only status or only entertainment value. "The kind of opponent who can give me an interesting fight is probably going to have the kind of status that matches this level, too," he told The Ring. He acknowledged that returning to No. 1 pound-for-pound does not carry the same thrill it did two years ago but said he wants fights that justify the ranking.

The Monster has previously stated he wants to complete what he calls the Bam fight at super bantamweight before moving to featherweight for the final chapter of his career. No date for his next appearance has been announced.

Source: ringmagazine.com