After a superb twelve months, Pound for Pound King Naoya Inoue received his WBN Fighter of the Year 2023 Award in Toyko, Japan.
During December 2022 and the same month of 2023, Inoue became a two-weight undisputed champion with two stellar performances.
Victories over a pair of super-talented unified super bantamweight titleholders cemented Inoue as the top dog at 122 pounds.
Naoya Inoue pursued and captured greatness in 2023
To pursue greatness in a record-setting amount of time against two boxers holding simultaneous world championships meant the Japanese star was out on his own.
Terence Crawford, who won WBN Stoppage of 2023 for his victory over Errol Spence Jr., didn’t do enough in a solitary effort over the year.
Therefore, Inoue takes the mantle from Oleksandr Usyk, who accepted the trophy in London last year before the Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora event.
Inoue took possession of the trophy at Teiken Boxing Gym as he started tentative preparations for a clash with Luis Nery.
At present, Inoue vs Nery is in the advanced stages of being confirmed, with the Tokyo Dome frontrunner to host for the first time since Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas.
Tyson was beaten for the first time in his illustrious career by Douglas. The fight was highly controversial. Tyson seemed to have knocked Douglas out earlier in the fight.
A ten-count wasn’t administered despite Douglas hitting the canvas hard in the eighth. Tyson eventually got caught himself in the tenth and looked to have gotten up in time before being waved off.
Nonetheless, Tyson lost, and now Inoue will get to follow one of the most recognizable names in the sport.
Inoue is already on his way to a future first-ballot Hall of Fame place. Victories over Nery and other top names will only further enhance his exceptional legacy.
Where that career will end up is yet to be written.
World Boxing News Awards 2023: The Winners
WBN Fighter of the Year: Naoya Inoue
Women’s Fighter of the Year: Amanda Serrano
WBN Fight of the Year: Rafael Espinoza vs Robeisy Ramirez
WBN Young Fighter of the Year [23 under]: Jesse Rodriguez
Pound for Pound Breakthrough: Gervonta Davis
Stoppage of 2023: Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence Jr.
Trainer of the Year: Shingo Inoue
Boxing Comeback of 2023: Anthony Joshua
World title prospect of 2024: Angel Lardizabal
Upset of 2023: Joseph Parker vs Deontay Wilder
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and has been the Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
