Pound for pound update January 2020: a new name at the top

3. “The Monster” Inoue

Record: 19-0, 16 KOs

Previous Ranking: 7

Is there a more fitting nickname in all of sports? Naoya “The Monster” Inoue is a special fighter who is finally starting to get the recognition in the states that he deserves, although he still deserves even more.

He is dominant, winning titles in two weight classes in eight fights, and then winning a title in his third weight class in his 16th fight. He consistently fights the best opponents he can, and he destroys them.

In our previous ranking, it was said that Inoue was favored to win the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS), and doing so would likely land him in the top five. That was not an exaggeration, and his run was so impressive that it landed him in the top three.

In the first leg of WBSS, he knocked out Juan Carlos Payano in the first round, and in the semifinals, he knocked out Emmanuel Rodriguez in the second round. These are some of the top guys in the division that The Monster ran through like they were amateurs.

In the final round of the tournament, he would fight future Hall-of-Famer Nonito Donaire, and the two put on a show that went on to be a fight of the year candidate. Both men were hurt, and Inoue even broke his orbital bone.

It was the first time that Inoue was truly tested as a professional, and he showed everyone that he possesses that extra gear needed to defeat a great fighter, he dug deep. It was the type of performance that solidified him as a special fighter, and he is not going anywhere. Oh by the way, he is only 26 years old.

Also, if you haven’t seen the fight with Donaire yet, go watch it immediately.