"Big money will follow" - Naoya Inoue pushes back on idea that he needs to fight in America

Naoya Inoue wants to fight in America, but it's not exactly a must for him.

'The Monster' is fresh off his return to the ring in December. Inoue faced fellow champion Marlon Tapales, in a super bantamweight title unification bout. Unsurprisingly, the Japanese boxer dominated to win by 10th-round stoppage.

With the victory, Inoue joined Terence Crawford as the only man in boxing history to become a two-division undisputed champion. While the Japanese boxer is considered one of the best on the planet, he's still somewhat glossed over in terms of popularity.

Many, feel that Inoue is missing out on a lot of money, and a bigger fanbase, by fighting almost exclusively in Japan. 'The Monster' hasn't fought in America since a 2021 victory over Michael Dasmairnas.

While Inoue would like to fight in the States again, he doesn't see why it's a necessity. In a recent interview with Ring Magazine, the Japanese boxer was asked about the perception that he needs to fight in America, in order to gain popularity.

There, he stated:

“I definitely want to fight there again. However, Japan is now becoming a big market too. I think the reason behind wanting the ‘American Dream’ is that name recognition and big money will follow. But nowadays if you are successful in Japan, you can make millions even in the lighter weight divisions. That's why Stephen Fulton came to Japan.”

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Naoya Inoue seemingly shoots down potential fight with Gervonta Davis

Naoya Inoue won't be moving up to fight Gervonta Davis anytime soon.

'The Monster' is currently booked to fight Luis Nery in May, in another bout in Japan. However, Inoue has been called out by many high-profile boxers in recent months.

Both Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis have shown interest in boxing the Japanese legend. However, 'Tank' seems to be a far more realistic opponent, given the size difference between himself and Inoue.

That being said, Inoue won't be heading up to fight Gervonta Davis. In the interview with Ring Magazine, the super bantamweight champion was asked about fighting 'Tank'. There, he stated:

"I always want to show the best Naoya Inoue. I wouldn’t decide to start fighting at featherweight or super featherweight just because the money is good. I don’t think that’s what I want. There are many fighters who have chased the money but ended up not being able to perform well and quit."