As the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to snap up big-name Japanese talent — two-way star Shohei Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2023 and young fireballer Roki Sasaki this year — boxing promoter Bob Arum made it clear there is one Japanese star the MLB club will not get its hands on.
“We’re not going to let the Dodgers steal this guy,” Arum joked, referring to undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, who was standing nearby moments after defending his belts with a vicious fourth-round knockout of South Korean challenger Kim Ye-joon at Ariake Arena on Friday night.
Inoue might not be wearing a Los Angeles uniform anytime soon, but Japan is going to have to share one of the world’s finest pound-for-pound fighters with the rest of the world in 2025.
