Connect with us

Sports

Naoya Inoue admits two fights he is targeting will be ‘difficult to predict’

Published

on

Naoya Inoue continues to eye up a move to the featherweight division as he seeks to further enhance his already tremendous legacy, and the Japanese sensation has admitted that two of his potential bouts at 126lbs would be ‘difficult to predict’. 

Inoue trumped Junto Nakatani in what looks set to be his solitary outing of 2026 – after an extremely active four-fight 2025 – but ‘The Monster’ seems poised to make up for his inactivity by making his next clash a mammoth one.

Currently, Inoue is expected to take on fellow pound-for-pound star Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in March, with the Texan planning on one further contest as a bantamweight this year before moving up and challenging for Inoue’s undisputed super-bantamweight crown.

Advertisement

Should Rodriguez attempt to further delay their much-reported meeting, Inoue has threatened to move into the featherweight scene and out of the American’s reach, where he could become boxing’s seventh five-division world champion of all time. 

Speaking with Ring Magazine, Inoue discussed which of the featherweight world champions he would prefer to face, admitting that he has no real preference but feels as though challenges for Rafael Espinoza (WBO) and Brandon Figueroa’s (WBA) belts would be harder to predict.

“I think any of them would make for an interesting fight. But Espinoza and Figueroa have particularly unique styles and sense of distance, so I think those would be fights that are difficult to predict. 

“[Angelo] Leo and [Bruce] Carrington are more traditional in terms of their styles. But that’s just talking about their styles.”

Inoue then went on to reiterate that the unpredictability of Espinoza and Figueroa may not necessarily make them tougher fights than respective IBF and WBC world champions, Angelo Leo and Bruce Carrington.

Advertisement

“Yeah [Espinoza and Figueroa throw punches from unique angles]. And sometimes those kinds of things can actually work perfectly for me, so it’s hard to say exactly how it would play out.”

Inoue also stated that he is intending on fighting twice in 2027, meaning that he is expecting to just fight once at featherweight next year, presuming his super-bantamweight showdown with Rodriguez goes ahead in the spring. 

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

WXV: Megan Davey reignites international ambitions with Wales

Published

on

Davey has primarily trained at scrum-half with Wales and faces competition from Keira Bevan and Seren Lockwood.

And contrary to the stereotype of the position, the nines get along with no animosity.

“We all really enjoy each other’s company. We want each other to do well, so there’s never that hatred towards each other,” said Davey, who has previously started at fly-half for Loughborough.

“Whoever goes out there and does the job first is the best pick for the team and you just need to back that completely.”

Advertisement

Wales open their WXV campaign against South Africa at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday, 18 September (19:15 BST), and any potential involvement would mean the world to Davey.

“Playing international rugby is such a privilege and I want to make everyone proud – my family, but also the coaches that have been behind me for the last 15 years of my journey,” she said.

“It’s just that final step, like ‘I made it’. I’m really excited and hopefully it comes at some point.”

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Sophie going for Jordan son”, “Her boyfriend better watch out!

Published

on

With the WNBA season on hiatus due to the FIBA World Cup, Sophie Cunningham has been keeping busy during her downtime. On Sunday, the Fever guard visited the World Wide Technology Raceway for the Illinois 300 and appeared to greet Michael Jordan during the NASCAR event.

Steven Taranto shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting Cunningham’s linkup with Jordan in the pit lane.

“Sophie Cunningham saying what’s up to Michael Jordan and Jeff Gordon before the green flag today,” Taranto wrote.

Advertisement

The post featured a couple of images of Cunningham at the event, where the guard appeared to shake hands with the Bulls legend and former racing driver Jeff Gordon. The images quickly went viral online, with fans going wild over the unexpected linkup.

“Sophie going for Jordan son,” a fan wrote.

“Sophie’s boyfriend better watch out!” another fan added.

While Cunningham’s NASCAR visit drew plenty of reactions from fans, the guard made the most of her appearance at the race. Apart from linking up with Jordan and Gordon, the Fever star made her way to the pit lane, where she appeared to interact with racers and engineers.

She also joined the pre-race stage, spent some time in the broadcast booth, and waved the green flag to start the race.

Advertisement

Cunningham has quickly become one of the biggest names in the WNBA, and her appearance at the race was another example of her growing popularity, as she was welcomed by the teams and even got the chance to meet the basketball GOAT.

Sophie Cunningham opens up on the mental side of the game during NASCAR visit

Sophie Cunningham had an eventful outing during her NASCAR visit on Sunday. While her link-up and appearance at the event turned heads, her interaction with fans also stood out as she kicked footballs and threw hats into the crowd while offering a candid interview with Kenny Wallace.

During the interview, Cunningham was asked about the mental side of sports and how she has “mastered” it through her antics during games.

“I think I’ve kind of mastered that art a little bit,” Cunningham said. “I get a little feisty, if you know what I’m saying. And you know, I do think it is part of the sport. And so, you got to have a one-up on people. And sometimes it’s not so physical, but it is the mental game. So, it’s fun.”

Advertisement
youtube-cover

Cunningham has earned a reputation as a feisty figure, with the guard often finding ways to rile up her opponents through simple gestures and on-court antics.