On Friday, January 24, undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) will return to action and face last-minute replacement Ye Joon Kim (21-2-2, 13 KOs) Inoue vs Kim will take place at the Ariake Arena, Tokyo. The full card will be broadcast live on ESPN+ for those in the United States, while fight fans in the United Kingdom can watch the action on Sky Sports+.
A Rocky Balboa-style fight?
The Monster was due to face Sam Goodman in December before the Australian suffered an eye injury. He was injured again before the rescheduled date of January 24, leading Kim to step in as a replacement opponent
Inoue was last seen in action stopping TJ Doheny, while Kim has won his last two fights by stoppage since his loss to Rob Diezel.
In the legendary film, champion Apollo Creed gives boxer Rocky Balboa the chance to fight for the heavyweight title and is about to dethrone him in their first blunt and devastating encounter. But let’s face it, it was a thrilling and wonderful fictional story, created and written by the great Sylvester Stallone, who starred in the film.
This is real life and, in reality, the blows are tangibly and painfully different. They are not choreographed, they land with a thud. Kim is much more than a club fighter and has built a respectable track record. Maximum credit for bravely seizing the moment and the opportunity
A victory for Kim would be a monumental surprise of gigantic proportions for him. With all his brilliant skills, experience and phenomenal punching power, Inoue is going to do everything he can to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim: Full fight card
According to betting company Draftkings, Inoue will go into the fight as a heavy favorite with a -4000 bet. Kim is the underdog with a +1500 bet as we get closer to fight night.
We share with you the complete card of the evening so you don’t miss any fight.
- Naoya Inoue vs. Ye Joon Kim, 12 rounds, for Inoue’s WBC/WBO/IBF/WBA super bantamweight titles
- Jin Sasaki vs. Shoki Sakai, 12 rounds, welterweight
- Kai Watanabe vs. Tsubasa Narai, 10 rounds, super featherweight
- Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Misaki Hirano, 10 rounds, super bantamweight
- Goki Kobayashi vs. Yuni Takada, 12 rounds, minimumweight