TOKYO—Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue is giving up his four bantamweight belts and plans to fight as a super bantamweight.
The undefeated Inoue holds the title belts for the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council. He made the announcement at a news conference in Yokohama, Japan, on Friday.
“The real battle starts from here,” Japan’s Kyodo news agency quoted Inoue as saying. “I am very excited.”
Inoue, who turns 30 in April, has also won championships fighting at lighter weights.
In Washington, Gervonta Davis is not waiting nearly a year between fights, even with a big showdown already on his calendar for April.
Davis is returning to the ring Saturday to face fellow unbeaten boxer Hector Luis Garcia and defend his WBA lightweight title. It’s a tune-up of sorts for Davis’s upcoming bout against Ryan Garcia, but the “other” Garcia looks to be a substantial challenge for the Baltimore native in his return to the ring in his second hometown.
“This ain’t no tune-up right here,” Davis’ trainer Calvin Ford said. “This is a fight. This is what we’re made for.”
Davis beat Rolando Romero by TKO in the sixth round May 28 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to improve to 27-0. He said he took this fight before facing Ryan Garcia in a few months because Hector Luis Garcia “earned his spot” from a strong 2022.
This Garcia is now 16-0 and was one of the top fighters last year.
“The real Garcia is right here,” Hector Luis Garcia said at the final prefight news conference Thursday. “I’m the real Garcia. I don’t care who he’s focused on because I know I’m the true challenge.”
Going into Showtime’s first boxing event at what’s now called Capital One Arena since Mike Tyson’s final fight, against Kevin McBride, in 2005, Davis insists he’s focused only on what’s in front of him, not what’s scheduled down the road.
“I can’t get to Ryan until I get past Hector, and I want to show that I’m one of the elite guys by the performance I put on Hector,” Davis said. “We definitely aren’t looking past this guy.”
Ford acknowledged it was a “rocky camp” leading up to this fight. Davis was arrested on a domestic violence charge December 27.
Davis denied the allegation and said, “I just wanted to clear my name.” The woman who called police put out a statement on social media saying Davis “did not harm me or our daughter.”
He said he was not worried about the fight being called off.
“I feel as though if I keep pushing, that’s just a hump in my road,” Davis said. “Just like this fight: I’ve got to get through this fight to go to the next one. It’s just humps in the road that we all have in life.”
Image credits: AP