Who will Naoya Inoue fight next? 'The Monster' reveals plans for fast return

Naoya Inoue's next fight will likely take place in March against Luis Nery.

'The Monster' returned to the ring earlier this week in Japan opposite Marlon Tapales. The bout took place just a few months after Inoue moved up to super bantamweight and took two titles from Stephen Fulton by knockout.

Facing 'Nightmare', the Japanese boxer again made history. While Tapales landed more shots than most, he was still put down in round 10. With the knockout victory, Inoue became a two-division undisputed champion. In the process, he joined Terence Crawford, the only other man to do so.

Now, just days removed from Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales, fans know more about the Japanese boxer's future. While some pitched a potential catchweight bout with Gervonta Davis, that appears to be off the table. Instead, he will likely face WBC mandatory challenger Luis Nery.

The news was announced by Michael Benson of TalkSport. On X, the journalist reported that Inoue revealed plans for a May return, likely against Nery. A former champion in his own right, 'Pantera' will look to upset the undisputed super bantamweight champion in 2024.

It's worth noting that a deal between the two is likely far apart as of now. However, that's what the champion appears to want. For his part, Nery is expected to enter the fight riding a four-fight winning streak, last defeating Froilan Saludar in July.

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Gervonta Davis publically rejects calls to be Naoya Inoue's next fight

Gervonta Davis seemingly has no interest in facing Naoya Inoue anytime soon.

Discussions of a potential bout between 'Tank' and 'The Monster' have been going on for a while. While the two aren't in the same weight class, a fight between them would be electric. I mean, it's two champions at the height of their careers who pack insane power for their size.

Still, with the emergence of reports about Inoue facing Nery, many fans are likely disappointed. While the bout with 'Tank' was never exactly likely, it absolutely won't be happening next. According to Davis, it might never happen at all.

On social media, Gervonta Davis reacted to a fan-made poster for the potential bout between himself and Naoya Inoue. Writing in the Instagram comment section of the post, 'Tank' stated:

“I’m not fighting him. He’s NO WHERE near my weight. [I don’t know] why this page keep posting s*** like this.”