Inoue On Retirement: I Want To Stop While I'm Still Good

Naoya Inoue has instructed his father and trainer to pull him out of boxing the moment they detect any slippage in his abilities.

The four-division champion and current Ring Magazine pound-for-pound No. 1 told the publication in an exclusive interview at Korakuen Hall on August 19 that he cannot trust himself to walk away at the right moment. "I've told my father and Hideyuki Ohashi, the chairman, that if they see signs of decline, they should stop me," Inoue said, per The Ring. "There are a lot of fighters who can't make that decision and end up continuing for too long. I want to retire while I'm still good, while I'm still in a good place."

The Monster has not announced his next fight since outpointing Junto Nakatani at Tokyo Dome on May 2. Looking back on that decision victory, Inoue said he fought with constant awareness of the scorecards rather than chasing a stoppage. He estimated during the bout that he was ahead 117-111, close to the final tallies. Nakatani presented difficulties because of size and reach rather than raw power, he added, and the measured approach was necessary to secure the win.

Inoue acknowledged he no longer feels the same excitement about topping the pound-for-pound rankings as he did when he first reached No. 1 roughly two years ago. He said future opponents will need both elite status and the potential for an entertaining fight, ruling out matchups that offer only one quality. The 32-year-old mentioned an interest in becoming a promoter eventually but admitted that pursuing that goal would require retiring immediately — a step he is not ready to take.

No date or opponent has been confirmed for Inoue's return to the ring.