Yesterday it was announced that Japanese star Naoya Inoue has now become a Riyadh Season ambassador, partnering up with boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh.
For the best part of a year, Riyadh Season – a sports and entertainment initiative in Saudi Arabia – has been front and center of nearly every blockbuster boxing event.
Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua and Terence Crawford, for instance, have all brokered deals with Alalshikh, who has largely spearheaded this year’s biggest shows.
And now, the Saudi boxing chief has seemingly made another groundbreaking signing, though the extent of his deal with undisputed super bantamweight king Inoue remains somewhat obscure.
Naoya Inoue’s deal with Turki Alalshikh is not worth $19 million, Timothy Bradley says
Inoue is widely regarded as a top three pound-for-pound star after joining just a few fighters in becoming a two-weight undisputed champion.
Before long, ‘The Monster’ must face unbeaten IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman on December 24, headlining another eagerly anticipated show in Japan.
Regarding his deal with Alalshikh, though, it is difficult to predict how his career will be impacted by this new ambassador role.
One would assume that, as well as representing the Riyadh Season brand, Inoue will eventually be expected to fight in the Middle East.
And yet, without knowing the full extent of this agreement, several media outlets have already reported that the deal is worth a staggering $19 million.
Hall of Fame fighter and ESPN boxing insider Timothy Bradley, however, has now clarified that these reports are indeed misleading.
“I’m just going to let you all know right now that $19 million is absurd – that number is completely false,” Bradley said on ProBox TV.
“I’m an insider, trust me. It’s completely false; it wasn’t that much money. I’m not going to give you the exact number of how much it was… But that $19 million is crazy.”
Who could Naoya Inoue face after Sam Goodman?
While Goodman represents a stern test for the pulverizing puncher, Inoue will nonetheless be an overwhelming favorite when he enters their Christmas Eve clash.
And so, it is worth considering who the 31-year-old could face next, regardless of whether his outing takes place on a Riyadh Season card.
One fighter who perhaps makes the most sense is Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who has demanded a shot at Inoue since becoming his WBA mandatory challenger.
Yet still, if Inoue was to remain at 122 lbs, it is far more likely that he would target a monumental battle with WBC bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani.