Promoter Eddie Hearn called out Naoya Inoue to fight his #1 WBA contender, Murodjon Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs), following his third-round knockout victory over Ricardo Espinoza (30-5, 25 KOs) on Saturday night at the Salle des Étoiles in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Hearn is trying to shame Inoue, 31, and his team into making the fight with Akhamadaliev, but that doesn’t figure to be effective. Inoue has been immune to pressure from the public his entire career, ignoring their pleas for him to fight better opposition.
He’s coasted through 12 years of feasting on tomato cans, winning three division world titles against flawed fighters. He’s not going to react to being shamed by Hearn by fighting Akhmadaliev and likely getting knocked out in the same way Ricardo Espinoza was tonight.
Akhmadaliev knocked Espinoza down three times in the third round to get a stoppage at 2:59. After the fight, Akhmadaliev challenged undisputed super bantamweight champion Inoue to face them next after his next title defense against #1 IBF and #1 WBO Sam Goodman on January 24th.
Will Inoue Vacate?
Hearn said he thinks Team Inoue will “avoid” Akhmadaliev. If he doesn’t fight him, he expects Naoya to vacate his WBA title. He may actually do that because he’s expected to move up to 126 soon after his fights against Goodman (19-0, 9 KOs) on January 24th and Junto Nakatani.
The Risk Averse Champion
Akhmadaliev has almost no chance of getting into a fight with Noue because he’s too talented, and the Japanese star has become risk-averse. Inoue has never fought anyone good during his 12-year career. So you can say that he was never a risk-taker.
“I’m ready. Let’s go, Naoya. Why is he ducking me? If he doesn’t want to fight with me, he needs to explain because when I was a champion, I followed the rules and he should follow the rules as well,” said Murodjon Akmadaliev during an interview following his knockout of Ricardo Espinoza on Saturday night, calling out undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue.
“I had mandatory. I was fighting them without any discussion. So, I need an explanation because I’m here and ready for the fight. The best should be fighting the best. I’m mandatory, and [WBA] interim champion. He [Inoue] should prove he’s the best in his division. He’s a legend. He should prove it as well,” said Akhmadaliev about Naoya Inoue.
I don’t think there’s anything Akhmadaliev and Hearn can do to force Naoya into fighting him. He’s going to make his rescheduled title defense against the light-hitting Sam Goodman next on January 24 and probably fight Junto Nakatania after that. He’s another beatable guy.
Naoya’s Avoidance Tactics
“We’ve delivered him the fight. It’s not been called once. It’s been called twice by the WBA,” said promoter Eddie Hearn about a fight being ordered twice for his fighter Akhmadaliev. “The first time, they paid for an exception to duck MJ.
“The second time was iron in writing. They had to fight him. They found a way to avoid him [Akhmadaliev] again. Naoya Inoue is a pound-for-pound legend. We respect him. He’s an unbelievable fighter. There’s one thing he hasn’t got. That’s Uzbek power.
“I’m telling you. There’s only one fighter in the [super bantamweight] division that can compete with him, let alone beat him, and that’s MJ. I tell you now, and you log this. This man [Akhmadaliev] will beat Naoya Inoue.
“He has all the skills, all the ability, and the pedigree. I fully believe he will beat him. We’ll do it in Japan. They should have fought each other for the undisputed championship. We [Akhmadaliev] lost a decision that we didn’t believe we deserved to lose [against Marlon Tapales by a 12-round split decision on April 8, 2023],” said Hearn about Akhmadaliev’s controversial decision loss to Tapales last year.
That was a raw deal that Akhmadaliev was given, losing to Tapales by 12-round decision last year in April 2023. It’s too bad there was never a rematch because there should have been.
“Twice, he’s [Naoya] been called to fight him. He’s the only fighter in the division, and there are people out there who say, ‘Oh no, Naoya doesn’t duck anyone.’ Maybe Inoue doesn’t, but his team do, because everybody in boxing knows how good he [Akhmadaliev] is.
“Uzbek Power”
“Let the best fight the best. It’s the only fight in the division. It’s one of the best fights in the sport. I tell you what. I’ll bet the house on it. This young man beat Naoya Inoue. I’ll tell you something else. I’ll bet you they never fight him. After this fight with [Sam] Goodman,
“He’s either got to vacate or fight him. I bet you they avoid him. If they do, don’t start calling him pound-for-pound #1 because this man will beat him. Uzbek power, stick your house on it,” said Hearn.
Naoya is going to vacate his four titles at 122, but he’ll do that without fighting Akhmadaliev because he’s a threat to beating him. He’s careful and always has been.
