'Monster' Inoue hints at featherweight move as Rodriguez bout stalls

Inoue Naoya (33, Japan), the undisputed world super bantamweight champion known as "Monster," has publicly raised the possibility of moving up to featherweight after scheduling talks for a bout with Jessie Rodriguez (26, United States) hit a snag.

Inoue posted on social media Tuesday that he would "start preparing to move up to featherweight" rather than wait indefinitely for "Bam," Rodriguez's nickname.

The two fighters had been working toward a showdown in February or March next year. The timeline was thrown off, however, after Rodriguez sought to first contest a unification bout against WBO bantamweight champion Cristian Medina of Mexico. The Rodriguez-Medina fight, originally expected in October, has since been pushed back — first to November and now potentially December — though no date has been confirmed.

Rodriguez's trainer Robert Garcia said in a recent interview with US boxing outlet FightHub TV that he hopes the Inoue fight can take place in April or May next year.

Garcia said Rodriguez, who moved up to bantamweight in June, needs at least one more fight at that weight before challenging at super bantamweight. Moving up again without enough experience at bantamweight could be risky, he said.

The wait has grown increasingly frustrating for Inoue. Just four days earlier, on Friday, he said at the "Phoenix Battle in Seoul" event in Seoul that he was preparing for the Rodriguez fight — only to find that his opponent's camp is targeting a date later than he had envisioned.

Inoue had already signaled in July that he would pursue a featherweight title shot if the Rodriguez fight was delayed too long. At the time, he said he would face Rodriguez if a bout around February next year was possible, but would go his own way if the schedule slipped further.

Ohashi Hideyuki, chairman of Inoue's gym, also left the door open to a featherweight move in August, saying there was no need to force the Rodriguez fight. A featherweight title would give Inoue a fifth world championship across five weight classes.

The potential matchup has drawn considerable attention as a clash between Ring magazine's No. 1 and No. 4 pound-for-pound fighters — a contest that would determine the sport's best regardless of weight class.

Meanwhile, talk of Inoue potentially moving to featherweight has also turned attention to a possible fight with Kameda Tomoki of Japan.

According to Tokyo Sports on Wednesday, former WBO Asia Pacific featherweight champion Abe Reiya said a Kameda-Inoue fight would "instantly become a realistic proposition" if Kameda defeats Brandon Figueroa of the United States on Sunday to claim the WBA featherweight title. Kameda, a two-division world champion, is currently ranked No. 3 by the WBA at featherweight.