Shingo Inoue, the father and exclusive trainer of Naoya Inoue, has revealed the retirement plan for the undisputed super bantamweight champion. After Naoya (33, Ohashi) defeated Junto Nakatani (28, M.T) by decision at Tokyo Dome on December 2, proving he is still at his peak, trainer Shingo shared his thoughts: “How many more fights will he have? It’s okay to quit soon. He can retire while still a legend, at the right time.”
Naoya’s next bout is reportedly being planned for January or February next year at Nagoya’s IG Arena, against WBC, WBA, and WBO super flyweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (26, USA).
Ten days have passed since the Tokyo Dome “THE DAY” event, but the excitement has yet to fade. The high-level 12-round battle between Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani was a masterpiece that stirred emotion and thrill.
At 33, Inoue defeated the 28-year-old Nakatani, silencing talk of a generational shift. “Some said he had passed his peak, but what are they talking about? He is at his peak now,” trainer Shingo reflected, pointing to the fight’s quality as evidence.
Inoue has declared he will take a break, saying, “I fought four times last year. I want to rest a little.” Ohashi Gym president Hideyuki Ohashi also indicated the possibility of rest for the remainder of the year. However, a Saudi Arabia “Riyadh Season” event is planned for Nagoya’s IG Arena in January or February, with Inoue likely to face “Bam” Rodriguez.
“Fighting four times a year is too much. Two fights per year is enough,” trainer Shingo said, welcoming the year-end rest.
On a recent live appearance on Nippon TV’s “news zero,” Inoue reaffirmed his plan to retire at 35, a statement he made six years ago. “I haven’t changed my mind. The me from six years ago made a good decision,” he said. He added, “It’s not about age. When my mindset toward training changes, that’s when I will retire. If I start to compromise, I will quit even before I’m 35. I don’t want to feel like I barely prepared and still won.”
Regarding a potential move to featherweight, Inoue said, “I have it in my sights, but when and if I will actually challenge that division depends on discussions with President Ohashi and my father. Since boxing is a weight-class sport, I’ve already moved beyond my natural skeletal frame. Moving up further involves risk, not just winning or losing, so I want to be careful.”
Trainer Shingo originally wanted his son to retire at 30. However, as Inoue conquered three weight classes, won the WBSS, and unified all four bantamweight titles, growing and evolving with each fight, Shingo extended that timeline to 35. Now, with two years left, he revealed his paternal feelings: “I haven’t discussed this with him, but how many more fights? It’s enough. He can retire while still a legend, at a good time.”
