Quite a few of the top names and bright prospects in Japan regularly train over in the States. Junto, Ioka, Tanaka, etc. Inoue is a notable exception, and that's concerning to me. He's only gone over for a two-week sparring camp at Freddie Roaches Wildcard gym in LA. He said in interview back then that he needs to spar with other types of fighters than those he's used to training with in Japan: Japanese, Filipino, Thai, Korean, Chinese, etc. He got to spar many of the notable fighters in the area then, and has flown over some of those guys to his fight camps back home. He said he absolutely would be returning to get more valuable experience but he hasn't yet. Ismael Salas is uniquely placed to help Inoue and his team out, even though he might also have other fighters on his roster who Inoue might eventually fight. I hope Team Inoue do start having regular training camps over in the States like the other progressive thinking Japanese fighters bc staying in the Japan bubble won't help him push his envelope as much. And there's so much more that they could learn out there. Inoue might have to push to get way, but I really think he needs to go beyond the traditional thinking and ways that hinders older generation Japanese from gaining the most benefit in their interactions with Westerners, including business practice.
They got seat revenue at the Tokyo Dome comparable to Vegas gates. One of biggest factors Bob Arum has mentioned wrt to putting on an Inoue fight card is attracti the visiting Japanese fans. The number of Japanese fans residing in the US is virtually negligible. A sizeable number are paying good money to come over, though, just like they've been doing to see their baseball heroes. Vegas attracts big high rollers, though, so it would make sense to hold Inoue's headlining events there. As we saw when Inoue went to watch Shu Shu fight, he still isn't recognised enough for him to be a big enough draw on his own, and he just doesn't quite have the dancing partners at 22, 26, and 30 to make a big headlining event in the US yet. 26 doesn't really have such big draw stars either. Figueroa, the Heartbreaker, might be the best there is there. Sure, to non-casual fight fans, Inoue vs Espinoza/Robeisy/Ball/Lopez promise to be spectacular fights, but those fights will probably be held outside the US, in Japan. If Nick Ball can put on on more exciting performances defending his belt and possibly unifying, they might just be able to headline a sizeable enough event in the UK. Nick Ball, till he went out to fight in Riyadh, usually fought in a tiny non-descript venue in London, though, so there's some work to do building him up more. No big names up at 30 either, except for a Tank Davis megafight.. And that's why US fighters and casual fight fans are almost exclusively attracted to 35 and above, unfortunately. So when you see Inoue in the US and there's no big fanfare, and why in any kind of polls on Anglophone social media (p4p, biggest upcoming/fantasy fights, etc), Inoue usually languishes at the bottom STILL. Nevertheless, as Inoue, Bam, Junto, and exciting prospects like Shu Shu and Hayato Tsutsumi, continue to put more and more casual American fight fans' eyes on the lighter weight classes, up to 26, and with Japan set to become the global fight hub for these lighter weight classes, attracting the best fights with the biggest purses, more and more fighters from across the world, but especially the global South will be attracted to become pro boxers. Matchroom and TR recognise this which is why we've been seeing them working with their Japanese counterparts much more. And they're pushing back on the Saudi oves to monopolise the sport and business. With the costs for your average fight fan to go and watch big fights in the US just being too high, broadcasting these big fights from classy venues like Ariake Arena and the Tokyo Dome Fighters all over the world is gonna create much better conditions and prospects for promising kids to become boxers and earn a decent living from it too.
When Inoue jumped up 2 divisions and he ko'ed Jamie Mcdonell in the first round too. Edwin has mentioned it in previous videos.
Congrats getting your credentials!
Quite a few of the top names and bright prospects in Japan regularly train over in the States. Junto, Ioka, Tanaka, etc.
Inoue is a notable exception, and that's concerning to me. He's only gone over for a two-week sparring camp at Freddie Roaches Wildcard gym in LA. He said in interview back then that he needs to spar with other types of fighters than those he's used to training with in Japan: Japanese, Filipino, Thai, Korean, Chinese, etc. He got to spar many of the notable fighters in the area then, and has flown over some of those guys to his fight camps back home. He said he absolutely would be returning to get more valuable experience but he hasn't yet.
Ismael Salas is uniquely placed to help Inoue and his team out, even though he might also have other fighters on his roster who Inoue might eventually fight.
I hope Team Inoue do start having regular training camps over in the States like the other progressive thinking Japanese fighters bc staying in the Japan bubble won't help him push his envelope as much. And there's so much more that they could learn out there. Inoue might have to push to get way, but I really think he needs to go beyond the traditional thinking and ways that hinders older generation Japanese from gaining the most benefit in their interactions with Westerners, including business practice.
They got seat revenue at the Tokyo Dome comparable to Vegas gates.
One of biggest factors Bob Arum has mentioned wrt to putting on an Inoue fight card is attracti the visiting Japanese fans. The number of Japanese fans residing in the US is virtually negligible. A sizeable number are paying good money to come over, though, just like they've been doing to see their baseball heroes. Vegas attracts big high rollers, though, so it would make sense to hold Inoue's headlining events there.
As we saw when Inoue went to watch Shu Shu fight, he still isn't recognised enough for him to be a big enough draw on his own, and he just doesn't quite have the dancing partners at 22, 26, and 30 to make a big headlining event in the US yet. 26 doesn't really have such big draw stars either. Figueroa, the Heartbreaker, might be the best there is there. Sure, to non-casual fight fans, Inoue vs Espinoza/Robeisy/Ball/Lopez promise to be spectacular fights, but those fights will probably be held outside the US, in Japan. If Nick Ball can put on on more exciting performances defending his belt and possibly unifying, they might just be able to headline a sizeable enough event in the UK. Nick Ball, till he went out to fight in Riyadh, usually fought in a tiny non-descript venue in London, though, so there's some work to do building him up more.
No big names up at 30 either, except for a Tank Davis megafight..
And that's why US fighters and casual fight fans are almost exclusively attracted to 35 and above, unfortunately. So when you see Inoue in the US and there's no big fanfare, and why in any kind of polls on Anglophone social media (p4p, biggest upcoming/fantasy fights, etc), Inoue usually languishes at the bottom STILL. Nevertheless, as Inoue, Bam, Junto, and exciting prospects like Shu Shu and Hayato Tsutsumi, continue to put more and more casual American fight fans' eyes on the lighter weight classes, up to 26, and with Japan set to become the global fight hub for these lighter weight classes, attracting the best fights with the biggest purses, more and more fighters from across the world, but especially the global South will be attracted to become pro boxers. Matchroom and TR recognise this which is why we've been seeing them working with their Japanese counterparts much more. And they're pushing back on the Saudi oves to monopolise the sport and business.
With the costs for your average fight fan to go and watch big fights in the US just being too high, broadcasting these big fights from classy venues like Ariake Arena and the Tokyo Dome Fighters all over the world is gonna create much better conditions and prospects for promising kids to become boxers and earn a decent living from it too.