Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue said Tuesday he does not plan to slow down after defending his undisputed super bantamweight world championship against Mexico's Luis Nery.
The boxer nicknamed "the Monster" retained his four belts with a sixth-round stoppage of Nery in front of some 43,000 spectators at a sold-out Tokyo Dome on Monday, improving his record to 27 wins and no losses, with 24 knockouts.
"I'm satisfied with how I fought. This bout was not a culmination, but one that will accelerate my career," Inoue told a press conference at his Ohashi Gym in Yokohama.
The 31-year-old was knocked down for the first time in his career in the opening round but quickly bounced back to take control of the contest.
"I think my corner may have been a bit nervous, but I believe the crowd went home satisfied," said Inoue, whose face appeared unscathed by the battle.
Inoue is scheduled to fight on home soil in September and is in talks to face undefeated Australian Sam Goodman, who has 18 wins and eight knockouts.
"I want to continue fighting intense bouts," he said.
Broadcaster Amazon Prime said Monday's fight attracted its biggest-ever audience, breaking the record set by the 2023 World Baseball Classic final, which was also shown on terrestrial television.
Inoue's total earnings from the fight are estimated to exceed 1 billion yen ($6.5 million), and he has even bigger paydays in the works, according to his gym president.
Hideyuki Ohashi said Inoue may fight again in December as part of a card backed by a wealthy Saudi Arabian promoter offering "more than double" his purse from the match against Nery.
"Naoya Inoue is special, after all. I want him to do things that no Japanese has done before," Ohashi said.
Related coverage:
Boxing: Inoue knocks out Nery in Tokyo Dome super bantam showdown
Boxing: "Monster" Inoue talks about 10 years as world champion
