Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim | ESPN - January 24, 2025

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Naoya Inoue will now face Ye Joon Kim following withdrawal of Sam Goodman

Naoya Inoue will now defend his world junior featherweight championship against South Korea’s Ye Joon Kim on January 24 following the withdrawal of original opponent, Sam Goodman.

The Australian had been scheduled to challenge the mighty Inoue, 28-0 (25 KOs), on December 24 until an eye injury suffered on the last day of sparring forced a postponement. A recurrence of that injury caused Goodman to pull out again – and open the door of opportunity for Kim, 21-2-2 (13 KOs).

Kim, 32, is currently ranked No. 11 by the WBO but is absent from the top 15 of the WBC, WBA and IBF. It is nonetheless expected that Inoue’s four belts will be on the line inside the Ariake Arena in Japan.

The 31-year-old Inoue will be a ginormous favourite to retain those titles. Kim has barely flirted with world class opposition during his 12-year professional career and was outpointed over eight rounds by Rob Diezel in 2023. His most recent outing saw him halt Rakesh Lohchab last May.

Inoue, aptly known as “The Monster”, was last in action in September, feasting on the overmatched TJ Doheny in September.

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Naoya Inoue-Ye Joon Kim broadcast will feature Jin Sasaki vs. Shoki Sakai

Welterweight prospect Jin Sasaki will once again share the spotlight with undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue.

Sasaki’s last fight, a seventh-round technical knockout of Qamil Balla, was part of the ESPN+ broadcast of Inoue’s victory over TJ Doheny in September.

ESPN+ will stream Inoue as he defends against late replacement Ye Joon Kim on January 24 in Tokyo. Kim stepped in after Inoue’s originally scheduled opponent, Sam Goodman, pulled out with a bad cut over his left eye, the same wound that postponed Inoue vs. Goodman from its initial date in December.

The broadcast will include Sasaki in the co-feature slot against Shoki Sakai, according to Top Rank, which co-promotes Inoue. The show is scheduled to begin at 4:15 a.m. Eastern Time (9:15 a.m. GMT).

Sasaki, a 23-year-old from Tokyo, is 18-1-1 (17 KOs). His lone loss came in October 2021, when he was stopped in 11 rounds by Andy Hiraoka. Sasaki has gone 7-0-1 since. He is ranked No. 3 by the IBF and WBO, and No. 4 by the WBA and WBC.

Sakai, a 34-year-old from Yokohama, is unranked and 29-14-3 (15 KOs). His last fight was in May, when he dropped a split decision to the 18-3-1 Ryota Toyoshima. Sakai’s record also includes losses to some familiar names, with decision defeats against Alexis Rocha and Gor Yeritsyan, both in 2019.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Let’s get this one out the way and let’s see who’s next for Inoue

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[keithmoonhangover]

If anyone hasn't seen him before, Jin Sasaki is a tremendously fun fighter. Big puncher, high work rate, defence optional. Anyone else seen him? handsofstone?

[margaret thatcher]

ya seen lots, flawed but very fun indeed

[Fightdoctor]

Dude's a brawler. He's come forward aggressive fighter who has feasted on minnows. This is whole diff level. This will be an annihilation at the hands of Monster. It hurts just imagining it. Won't go long fa sho!

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Press Release

Pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed world super bantamweight crown against Korean challenger Ye Joon Kim. Inoue vs. Kim will stream live on Friday, Jan. 24th on ESPN+ with a special early morning start time of 4:15 a.m. ET/ 1:15 a.m. PT in the United States. The event takes place at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Timothy Bradley Jr. and Bernardo Osuna will call the action for ESPN+. Before the main event, a twelve-round welterweight co-feature showcases Jin Sasaki (18-1-1, 17 KOs) against Shoki Sakai (29-14-3, 15 KOs).

Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) seeks his tenth consecutive knockout while making an unprecedented third defense of his undisputed world 122-pound championship. The 31-year old unified the bantamweight division in 2022 by stopping Paul Butler, then claimed undisputed status in a second weight class with knockout victories over Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales in 2023. In May, he made history by headlining the first boxing card at Tokyo Dome since 1990, rising from a first-round knockdown to stop former two-weight world champion Luis Nery in the sixth. Inoue followed up the Nery triumph with a seventh-round TKO of former title holder TJ Doheny in September.

Kim (21-2-2, 13 KOs) turned pro in 2012 and has spent most of his career fighting in Korea. He has won two straight since a majority decision defeat to veteran Rob Diezel in Auburn, Washington.

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12 rounds – Undisputed junior featherweight championship
Naoya Inoue – 121 3/4 lbs
Ye Joon Kim – 121 3/4lbs

12 rounds – welterweight
Jin Sasaki – 147lbs
Shoki Sakai – 146lbs

10 rounds – lightweight
Tsubasa Narai – 132 1/2lbs
Kai Watanabe – 132 1/4lbs

10 rounds – junior featherweight
Toshiki Shimomachi – 121 1/2lbs
Misaki Hirano – 121 1/2lbs

12 rounds – minimumweight
Goki Kobayashi – 105lbs
Yuni Takada – 104 3/4lbs

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Date: Friday January 24, 2025
Location: Ariake Arena - Koto City, Tokyo, Japan
TV/Stream: ESPN+ & Sky Sports

Start Times
ESPN+: 4:15 am ET | 1:15 am (Main Card)
Sky Sports: 7:30 am GMT (Main Card)

Promoted by: Top Rank Inc.

Fight Card

Undisputed Super Bantamweight Championship
Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim

WBO Asia Pacific Welterweight Championship
Jin Sasaki vs. Shoki Sakai

WBO Asia Pacific Minimumweight Championship
Goki Kobayashi vs. Yuni Takada

10 Round Lightweight Bout
Tsubasa Narai vs. Kai Watanabe

10 Round Super Bantamweight Bout
Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Misaki Hirano

[Sendo Takeshi]

Damn, those japanese got heart.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Time for Monster

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Rd2

Not much so far. Inoue landed well

[keithmoonhangover]

Time for Monster

I'm watching it at work on my phone, while ignoring a boring Teams call.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Inoue putting pressure on now going into round 4.

Some hard body shots.

Kim actually put together a decent combination.

But I feel Inoue was pulling a GGG.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Time for Monster

I'm watching it at work on my phone, while ignoring a boring Teams call.

Boxing > work

[Ruthless-RKO]

Monster wins rd4 KO.

Some hard shots landed there.

Kim said come on. Only for Inoue to carry on landing so banging shots.

Comms are just saying Inoue could have done that
In the opening 30 seconds.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Nice closing sequence there tbh

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When Kim started throwing more, Inoue started to
Finish him off

[Ruthless-RKO]

Kim was basically telling him to finish him
Off

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[keithmoonhangover]

Kim's an exciting guy to watch. In way over his depth today, but it would be good to see him again.

[funso banjo baby]

How many weights can Inoue conquer?