32-0 AND COUNTING: IS NAOYA INOUE OFFICIALLY THE GREATEST OF THIS GENERATION?
Naoya Inoue wraps up a flawless 2025, tying Muhammad Ali’s record with four undisputed title defences in a single calendar year.
Inoue wrapped up 2025 with a flawless 4-0, defending his super-bantamweight title four times around the globe and proving he's the best in boxing. Beating Alan Picasso put him back on top of the pound-for-pound rankings, solidifying his place as the sport's biggest name.
Lots of fighters had great moments this year, but no one else showed the same level of consistent dominance, historical importance, and activity that Inoue did.
An Amazing Year of Championship Wins
Inoue finished the year with a 32-0 record (27 KOs) after wins against Ye Joon Kim, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and Alan Picasso. Each fight showed his command of the division, from quick knockouts to smart, well-fought decision wins against top contenders.
People noticed his cool demeanour, accuracy, and how he changes his strategy during fights, proving why he's considered the best.
Looking back at 2025, Inoue said, I wasn't sure about it myself, but I'll do my best to meet your expectations. To everyone who came to Riyadh and cheered us on, thanks a lot for your support.
We had so much support this year. Thanks! Happy New Year!
By successfully defending all four major belts four times this year, Inoue is the only male undisputed world champ left in boxing. He stayed active without injuries or performance drops, which set him apart from everyone else with a title.
While others picked and chose their fights, Inoue was always ready to put his title on the line.
Historical Wins and Worldwide Success
Besides being undefeated, Inoue's 2025 was historically awesome. He tied Muhammad Ali's record by defending the undisputed title four times in a single year.
Inoue also set a new record for the most consecutive world title fight wins, beating records held by Floyd Mayweather and Joe Louis.
His consistency across different countries was just as impressive. Inoue had amazing performances in Japan, the US, and Saudi Arabia, proving he's not just a local star but the most complete global champ in the sport.
This year, Inoue was the best in every category.
While other fighters had strong arguments, no one maintained undisputed control while building their legacy like Inoue did this year.
Inoue's multiple title defences made him the obvious choice.
A Familiar Honour, Earned Again
This is Inoue's second time winning WBN Fighter of the Year, after his undisputed wins in two divisions in 2023.
Winning again shows how great he is at the highest level of boxing. Very few fighters today have combined dominance with constant activity while adding to their legacy.
What's Next?
As 2025 ends, Inoue is not just boxing’s top champ, but the standard for sustained dominance. His wins have him moving from talking about what he could do to what his legacy will be. Future performances will be compared to what he’s already done.
The win over Picasso and return to number one P4P just shows he's unmatched.
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
