MY FIRST TIME: NAOYA INOUE
Inoue blasted out the previously unbeaten Emmanuel Rodriguez in two.
MY BEST PUNCH “If you asked me to pick the best punch I’ve ever thrown, I’d say the right hand that knocked out Juan Carlos Payano on October 7, 2018. It was a first-round knockout, and the way it ended made it the most impactful KO of my career. If we’re talking about a finish that came after carefully breaking down an opponent, then the fight against Stephen Fulton on July 25, 2023, would also be among the best. But when it comes to the punch that produced the most spectacular knockout, it has to be the one against Payano. “That wasn’t just ‘almost perfect.’ It was literally a perfect punch. I’ve never landed one like that, not even in sparring. The one-two I threw after getting inside was a punch I’d used before, but it had never been as perfect as it was in the Payano fight. They say that if you work hard and keep at it, consistency is key. But I think there are moments when you go beyond what that hard work can normally achieve. There’s absolutely no way I could land a punch like that, even in sparring. “I was so sharp and focused that it felt like I could see a beam of light showing me the exact path of the punch. That’s what the fight felt like. Since then, I haven’t been chasing that same kind of perfect punch. It’s not something you can just decide to throw and expect to land. It wasn’t a punch I could deliberately aim for. It was something that happened only in that particular moment, with that timing.”
I was told I was going to have an amateur bout, I was terrified. My legs were practically shaking. Kids today have junior tournaments readily available, so they train with those competitions as their goal, right? But I wasn’t training with anything like that in mind, so I really was scared. That’s why the joy of winning was even greater. I was absolutely thrilled.” MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL FIGHT October 2, 2012, vs. Crison Omayao “My pro debut was shown on TV late at night on a tape delay, and it had already attracted quite a bit of attention. But I walked into the ring with a smile on my face. I had already built up an amateur record of 75 wins (48 by KO or TKO) and six losses, so I wasn’t so nervous that I couldn’t perform or enjoy myself. Of course I felt some nerves, but I was still able to enjoy the experience of making my professional debut. “I fought a Filipino champion at Korakuen Hall and won by knockout (KO 4), dropping him with body shots in the first and fourth rounds. I really felt the impact of that final knockdown. I still remember that sensation, and I probably never will forget it. “But one more thing I remember about that fight is how difficult it was to entertain the fans. I realized how hard it is to put into practice in the pro ring what you work on in training. As I said, I felt good about the knockout and enjoyed the whole experience of making my pro debut, but I certainly wasn’t satisfied with the way I fought.”
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