Naoya Inoue-Ye Joon Kim: Stats and Stakes

There are fights that we know are foregone conclusions going in.

Sometimes, we don’t know what we thought we did.

That said, should the undisputed junior featherweight crown change hands on Friday morning (ESPN+, 4:15 AM EST), it would be as big an in-ring upset as boxing has ever seen.

Buster Douglas would look like even money in comparison.

Naoya Inoue made chicken salad out of the mess from his fight with deserving contender Sam Goodman falling apart twice due to training cuts. The show is going on and unheralded challenger Ye Joon Kim has the chance of a lifetime.

Kim, a professional since 2012, has never been stopped.

His chin is about to get tested by one of the most devastating punchers in the world.

Let’s get into it.

Stats and Stakes

Naoya Inoue
Age: 31
Title: WBC Super Bantamweight (2023-Present, 3 Defenses); WBO Jr. Featherweight (2023-Present, 3 Defenses); Lineal/TBRB/Ring/IBF/WBA Jr. Featherweight (2023-Present, 2 Defenses)
Previous Titles: WBC Light Flyweight (2014, 1 Defense); WBO Jr. Bantamweight (2014-18, 7 defenses); Ring Magazine/IBF Bantamweight (2019-23, 6 Defenses); WBA Bantamweight (2019-23, 5 Defenses*); Lineal/TBRB/WBC World Bantamweight (2021-23, 1 Defense); WBO Bantamweight (2022-23)
Height: 5’5
Weight: 121 ¾ lbs.
Stance: Orthodox
Hails from: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Record: 28-0, 25 KO
Record in Major Title Fights: 21-0, 19 KO (23-0, 21 KO including sub-title fights)
Last Five Opponents: 153-10 (.939)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: Ryoichi Taguchi UD10; Adrian Hernandez TKO6; Omar Narvaez KO2; Kohei Kono TKO6; Jamie McDonnell TKO1; Juan Carlos Payano KO1; Emanuel Rodriguez KO2; Nonito Donaire UD12, TKO2; Jason Moloney KO7; Paul Butler KO11; Stephen Fulton TKO8; Marlon Tapales KO10; Luis Nery TKO6; TJ Doheny TKO7
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None

Vs.

Ye Joon Kim
Age: 32
Title: None
Previous Titles: None
Height: 5’4
Weight: 121 ¾ lbs.
Stance: Orthodox
Hails from: Seoul, South Korea
Record: 21-2-2, 13 KO
Press Rankings: Unranked
Record in Major Title Fights: 1st Title Opportunity
Last Five Opponents: 69-25-3 (.727)
Notable Outcomes, TBRB and/or Ring Rated Foes: None
Additional Current/Former Titlists Faced: None

The Pick: Anything can happen but anything doesn’t most of the time. This is a fight with a dramatic gap in quality of opposition, speed, power, and talent in general. Inoue’s streak of six consecutive wins over fighters ranked by The Ring and TBRB, the longest active streak in the sport, will be snapped but the stage is set for a potential four-fight campaign in 2025. Inoue will turn 32 in April. The likelihood that his prime will be soon behind him is high. This is probably his least dangerous opponent since Aran Diapaen in 2021 but any chance to see one of the great physical talents of this generation is worth the time. The good stuff will come again. For now, the pick is Inoue by fan-pleasing knockout.

Rold Picks 2024 - Final: 38-16
Rold Picks 2025: 0-0