Naoya Inoue vs Ye Joon Kim LIVE: Latest updates as Japanese star defends undisputed titles

Inoue’s last outing was, actually, a surprisingly underwhelming one, though through no fault of his own…

Here’s how it went down:

So, as mentioned in the post below, Inoue tops our pound-for-pound list, with Crawford at No 2 and Usyk ranked third…

But who else makes our top 10? Find out right here:

Crawford did it first, adding undisputed welterweight gold to his super-lightweight silverware; Inoue followed later in 2023, becoming undeniable at super-bantamweight, having previously earned that status at bantamweight; then Usyk got involved last May, the former cruiserweight king winning a classic with Fury to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years.

And given all three men are unbeaten, you have to split hairs to separate them. Usyk is “only” a two-weight champion overall, while Crawford’s latest win made him a four-weight champion. Inoue has also held world titles in four divisions, but his knockout rate (25 KOs from 28 wins) eclipses those of Crawford and Usyk. An unmatched ruthlessness.

All of this is to say: the average boxing fan may be quick to name Crawford or Usyk as the greatest living boxer – they may not even be that aware of Inoue – but the Japanese’s achievements might actually surpass the American and Ukrainian’s. Inoue’s profile does not match his prowess, basically.

Below, we look at what Saudi involvement in Inoue’s career (the Japanese has been talking with boxing’s new kingmakers…) could mean for his breed of challenger, and his exposure to the wider world. There are pros… and there are cons:

Subject to late changes; ‘C’ denotes champion:

Naoya Inoue (C) vs Ye Joon Kim (WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF super-bantamweight titles)

Jin Sasaki vs Shoki Sakai (welterweight)

Goki Kobayashi vs Yuni Takada (minimumweight)

Toshiki Shimomachi vs Misaki Hirano (super-bantamweight)

Tsubasa Narai vs Kai Watanabe (lightweight)

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In the UK, the event will air live on Sky Sports+. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action.

And of course, we’ll provide blow-by-blow updates right here, so stick around!

Inoue vs Kim is scheduled to take place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

The undercard is due to begin at approximately 9am GMT (1am PT / 3am CT / 4am ET), with main-event ring walks expected at around 11am GMT (3am PT / 5am CT / 6am ET).

So, in steps Kim, facing a stern test as he looks to take the undisputed belts from Inoue, 31, who has 25 knockouts from 28 unanswered wins as a professional.

Kim, 32, enters Tokyo with a record of 21-2-2 (13 KOs), and the Korean has promised: “I’m different to all the boxers before me. This is my time. I’ll crush him.”

It is a bold vow, as he prepares to box the arguable pound-for-pound No 1 on the “Monster”’s home turf… Follow live updates and results from Inoue vs Kim, right here.