naoya inoue v nonito donaire two june seventh

[Kirkland Laing]

That was just absolutely devastating. For lack of a better word pure focus and execution vs a first ballot HOF. He never let Donaire get started, not in the least. Love to see Inoue get full 118 unification but honestly can see Butler receiving something similar. Donaire can walk away proud regardless and as a huge converted fan like to see that. True ambassador to the sport going forward.

Little bit of chatter about Inoue going up for Stephen Fulton but Fulton has his own massive unification to aim for. But in near future maybe, that is yet another one to hope happens!

He's going to have to move up because he's going to run out of anybody remotely worth fighting and because money and promoters will push things that way. Chocolatito was in the same situation and probably could have extended his career a few years fighting at his natural weight but moved up chasing money and recognition. Inoue is in a kind of similar situation. I think we're going to get the opportunity to see if his power stays with him when he moves up the weights.

Good comparison with Chocolatito. Chocolatito was a force at his weight, but as happens with anybody else, lost some of that advantage when he moved up.

The lighter weights, I think, are more stacked from division to division than the upper weights. So in the lower divisions, a move up means you're fighting some elite opposition at the very next weight.

Plus a few pounds is a massive amount for the little lads. Chocolatito went from 112 where he was knocking everybody out to 115 and was still a beautiful boxer but had problems with the physicality of for instance Wangek. Definitely didn't have the same effect with his punches just three pounds north of flyweight. Inoue has already moved up at world level. He's still got knockout power at bantam but who knows further north.