Matchroom CEO Eddie Hearn has laid into the career of a fighter many people believe is a current pound-for-pound great.
Although these lists are mythical, boxers who place in the discussions of the best on the planet are usually widely agreed on.
For many, few would argue that the best on the planet right now is Oleksandr Usyk having become undisputed in two weight divisions and twice beating former lineal champion Tyson Fury despite him being a naturally much smaller man.
Another highly rated fighter on the list is undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, who was previously undisputed at bantamweight too.
He has beaten the likes of TJ Doheny, Luis Nery, Marlon Tapales, Stephen Fulton, Nonito Donaire and most recently late stand-in replacement Ye Joan-Kim, but Hearn told iFL TV he doesn’t rate that CV.
“Why should Naoya Inoue get a pass to fight low-level opponents and duck his mandatory not once, not twice, but three times? I feel like if that was ‘AJ’, imagine if he’d have ducked Usyk? A lot of people said don’t fight him, vacate.
“Inoue is a pound-for-pound great but his resume is pretty s**t to be honest. He’s beaten Stephen Fulton, good performance. But I think Inoue is very disappointing as a champion.”
Hearn – who was playing promoter with the statements – then claimed fans need to put more pressure on Inoue, who he believes is avoiding his man Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
“I think fight fans need to wake up at what is going on with Inoue. He’s been ordered now twice to fight [Murodjon Akhmadaliev], he’s paid money twice now for a permit to avoid him.
You are disappointing Naoya Inoue, you are not the fighter I thought you were. Fight fans need to wake up. This is not a pound-for-pound resume. Naoya Inoue – it’s time for him to be taken out the pound-for-pound list.”
Akhmadaliev is a former unified belt holder who lost to Tapales but has rebuilt since then under Hearn with two stoppages in his two fights. Other options for Inoue next include Nick Ball and mostly like David Picasso, who is the No.1 contender for the WBC title.
