It’s one of the biggest stories/questions currently circulating in the sport: is Naoya Inoue actually ducking and dodging Murodjon Akhmadaliev? To most people, the very notion that “Monster” Inoue – for many fans, experts and fellow fighters the reigning pound-for-pound best in the world today – is ducking anyone is nothing short of absurd.
Yet Akhmadaliev, AKA “MJ” insists the Japanese star is afraid of him and is not at all keen to face him. Former WBA/IBF 122 pound champ Akhmadaliev’s promoter Eddie Hearn has gone further, and he went a whole lot further last night in Monte Carlo after seeing “MJ” take care of business in style in chopping down Ricardo Espinoza in three impressive rounds to pick up the vacant interim WBA belt.
Hearn stated that he would “bet the house” on Akhmadaliev beating Inoue, with the promoter then saying in his next breath, “I bet you they don’t fight him.” Hearn believes Inoue’s team are reluctant to put him in with Akhmadaliev and that they have swerved the fight twice.
Now, some hours after Akhmadaliev’s latest win and call out, Inoue has responded on social media, with him writing:
“Why do I have to run away from someone who lost to [Marlon] Tapales? There’s zero need for it…. If you want to fight, keep the ‘value’ of winning and wait!!” Inoue wrote. “Now I’m fully focused on the [Sam] Goodman fight.”
Inoue, 28-0(25) will face his IBF mandatory Goodman on January 24, this after the fight was delayed a month due to Goodman suffering what has been called a “freak” cut in sparring. But after that, it will have to be Akhmadaliev for Inoue, surely? The belief that Inoue really is afraid to fight “MJ” will simply grow and grow if the fight doesn’t happen.
Akhmadliev, 13-0(10) is obviously deserving of the fight, and it would be a stain on Inoue’s otherwise stellar resume and CV if he did not fight Akhmadaliev. Hearn has gone as far as saying Inoue Vs. Akhmadaliev is the ONLY fight in the super-bantamweight division.
We need to see it for sure. Inoue tells us all to relax, that he will take care of business against Goodman, and then……. Well, to repeat, it has to be “MJ,” right?
