If reports regarding the absolutely dismal number of tickets his upcoming May fight in Las Vegas has shifted are 100 percent legit, it seems clear why Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue has fought back home so much during his career. As we know, “The Monster” is a total megastar in Japan, where he regularly and routinely sells out massive arenas, with 50,000 or so fans showing up to see the unified super-bantamweight king do his stuff.
Now, returning to the US to fight for the first time since 2021, and for just the third time in total, Inoue will box Ramon Cardenas, this at The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 4. And, guess what? Ticket sales are said to be almost non-existent.
This from boxing promoter Rick Glaser on X:
“Told by multiple sources Inoue tickets at T-Mobile Arena in Vegas May 4 on ESPN are totally dead, so dead the tickets should be given the last rites! And, Team Inoue isn’t happy about the promotional flop. The promoter, none other than Top Rank. That’s boxing at Top Rank nowadays.”
Whether or not you agree the folks at Top Rank are struggling as far as selling out shows these days, it is a surprise that fans are opting to stay away in droves instead of wanting to see, up close and live, one of the best fighters on the planet as he brings his greatness to the US. Maybe people are struggling financially and the ticket prices here are simply too steep, or maybe fans are not turned on by Inoue’s challenger in Cardenas (who is not a bad fighter, and has won his last 14 fights and is 26-1 overall).
Or maybe there will be some last-minute ticket sales that will save the show from embarrassment (and possibly from Inoue opting to fight at home full-time from here in in)? Inoue, 29-0(26) hasn’t boxed in a near-empty arena, well, ever. It would be a pretty sad thing if he did here, next month. Inoue is a massive star in Japan, but apparently not in America. Not judging by the total lack of clamour for tickets for his upcoming fight, anyway.
Again, no wonder Inoue has been reluctant to leave home to fight!