WBO 122-pound champion Emanuel Navarrete has made it clear that a fight against Japanese superstar Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue is something that would keep him at 122 pounds for the moment. Inoue is the WBA/IBF 118-pound champion. The Mexican champion adds that Inoue, known as "Monster" would have a hard road to victory against him because Inoue is, in Navarrete's words, "soft." Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs) is coming off a stay-busy fight, defeating Uriel López on June 20th in Mexico City to secure his sixth victory since December 2018, when he beat Isaac Dogboe to become a champion. “I would do well against Inoue, thanks to my ferocity and dedication. You guys saw Dogboe, who I can’t say is Inoue, but he was greatly feared at super bantamweight at the time and when I was told about the fight, I took on the challenge knowing he had flaws and shortcomings. I used my ferocity, my will and my come-forward punching,” said Navarrete to ESPN Deportes.

 

“Inoue, and I say this with much respect, I do not see a lot of possibilities of him winning [against me], I view him as very docile, soft. I don’t think he can take what Dogboe put up with, and so it’s like a bonus. [Inoue] is fast and has good combinations, but Dogboe connected on me and he did not hurt me. Comparing them, I don’t give Inoue as many possibilities [to win]. ”

 

Inoue (19-0, 16 KO) is considered to be one of the best boxers in the world. He was scheduled to face WBO 118-pound champon John Riel Casimero in a unification fight before the coronavirus pandemic hit. That contest would have been his first under a promotional deal with Top Rank.