"Should Be Lowered in the P4P Rankings." Eddie Hearn Questions Inoue's Achievements

The head of Matchroom Boxing, Eddie Hearn, has cast doubt on the accomplishments of Naoya Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs), the undisputed champion in the super bantamweight division.

Hearn believes that to solidify his status, the Japanese star must face Murodjon Akhmadaliev (13-1, 10 KOs), a fighter Hearn represents.

"Naoya Inoue has been avoiding Akhmadaliev. He would rather vacate a title than fight him, and this would be the third time. We’re talking about a fighter ranked pound-for-pound.

Who has Inoue fought in the last year? TJ Doheny and the guy he fought a few days ago. That’s not pound-for-pound material. He should be dropped in the rankings. It feels like no one even considers this; everyone just says, 'Oh, it’s Inoue.' And so what?" said Hearn.

On January 24, Naoya Inoue knocked out Ye Joon Kim in the fourth round to defend his titles. In December, Murodjon Akhmadaliev stopped Ricardo Espinoza Franco with a third-round TKO.