A featherweight move seems inevitable for Naoya Inoue in 2027, with each of the 126lb world champions hoping to secure a lucrative showdown boxing’s pound-for-pound king. Now, one reigning featherweight world champion has admitted that he has eyes on a meeting with ‘The Monster’.
Inoue has ruled in four weight divisions thus far but has been linked with a featherweight move for over a year now, with victory in his legendary May bout with Junto Nakatani having been expected to prompt a move up in weight.
Yet, despite being victorious in the biggest fight in the history of Japanese boxing, Inoue has delayed his move to the featherweight scene by seemingly pursuing a fight with newly crowned WBA bantamweight world champion, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.
That clash is anticipated to take place in early 2027, with Inoue continuing up to featherweight thereafter. Now, WBA featherweight ruler, Brandon Figueroa, has declared his interest in a fight with Inoue, but told Pro Box TV that his attention is currently on another Japanese featherweight title hopeful, Tomoki Kameda, whom he expects to face next.
“Of course [we can see me fight Inoue], why not? I feel like that is a very doable fight and I don’t know, it might be in the works, but as of right now, [I am focussed on] Tomoki Kameda.
“My older brother [Omar Figueroa Jnr] also faced a Japanese fighter and they went to war, Nihito Arakawa, it was for the 135lb Interim WBC belt if I can remember. Japan is pretty familiar with me and my brother because that fight was the Fight of the Year, my brother ended up breaking both of his hands but ended up winning the belt.
“It was a war, I would recommend any fighter to watch that fight.”
Boxing News understands that Figueroa-Kameda could take place in Japan this October, as ‘The Heartbreaker’ attempts to make a first defence of his title since dethroning Nick Ball in February.
Should Kameda pull off the upset, he would no doubt become the frontrunner as the potential opponent for Inoue’s eventual 126lb debut.
