THE ART OF RAISING CHAMPIONS
when giving him advice. We didn’t want to fight on Nakatani’s terms. We knew Naoya had the speed advantage, so we wanted to maximize that. At the same time, we had another option prepared in case it became difficult to score points from the outside. Since Nakatani had the height advantage, we were prepared to have Naoya get inside and turn it into a rougher fight if necessary. Ring: It felt like there were many possible ways the fight could unfold. Was the actual flow of the fight within your expectations? SI: Yes, very much so. Early on, Naoya’s
more importantly, I was very conscious about keeping all of those scenarios fresh in our minds. If you visualize those situations beforehand, you can react when they happen. If something unexpected suddenly happens without that preparation, you panic. Then it becomes difficult to reset mentally and regain control of the fight. As Naoya said before the fight, we knew Nakatani was capable of aggressive boxing like he showed against Nishida last year. If we had entered this fight without that image in mind and then he fought that way, we might not have been able to respond. But because we already had
of fight could have been very hard. But if you prepare for it beforehand, you can deal with it. Ring: One thing that surprised me at the press conference was Naoya saying that after building an early lead, there were rounds in the middle where he didn’t mind giving away. Do you agree with that philosophy? SI: In terms of flow, I think it’s fine to have rounds where you conserve energy. But even in those rounds, I don’t think you should give away points. At minimum, you want to keep the round even. If you start losing rounds, then
jab and punches were landing, but Nakatani’s punches weren’t reaching. We could see that Nakatani wanted to come in, but Naoya’s pressure was preventing him from doing so comfortably. At that point, we felt Naoya was controlling the distance and that the rounds belonged to us. Honestly, I was more concerned about the possibility of a rough inside fight like Nakatani had against Ryosuke Nishida, where it could become a physically grueling battle. Ring: It looked like an extremely tense fight. Even then, you thought Naoya might lose concentration? SI: That’s just his personality. (laughs) There was one moment when Naoya stepped
Ring’s 2025 Trainer of the Year spoke in-depth with Daisuke Sugiura about the keys behind each victory, as well as the philosophy that defines him as a trainer. The interview was conducted in Japanese and translated to English. The Ring: After the Tokyo Dome mega- event in which both of your sons faced formidable opponents, which feeling comes first for you – joy or relief? Shingo Inoue: More than anything, it’s relief. Until the fight ends, there’s this incredible tension hanging over everything. You’re mentally locked in, and before the fight there’s a very unique atmosphere. So when it’s over, it’s not so much, “Wow, we did it!” It’s more just a huge sense of relief. Like, “Thank goodness it’s over.” Ring: The scene during the post-fight press conference was symbolic. When Naoya asked you something, you didn’t respond right away, and Naoya jokingly called out “Hello!” in English. At that moment, you seemed completely dazed. What was going through your mind? SI: I was honestly completely blank. I
was just overwhelmed with relief and zoned out. I couldn’t hear anything around me. I wasn’t even aware of the scenery or the atmosphere around me. I was just lost in my own thoughts. I didn’t even realize Naoya was talking to me until Takuma said, “What do you think?” That’s when I realized they were talking to me. I snapped back and said, “Sorry!” in English too. (laughs) Ring: Naoya was facing a tremendous challenge in Junto Nakatani. Were you satisfied with his performance in that fight? SI: Absolutely. I was fully satisfied. The result came from executing the strategy and tactical battles we had worked on in training, so I was extremely happy with it. Before fights, I avoid reading online news because I don’t want my thinking to waver. But even if I avoid it, headlines still catch your eye. You notice how much the media is hyping things up, and naturally certain anxieties creep in. So the fact that Naoya was still able to perform the way he did despite all of that is why, once it was over, that overwhelming
sense of relief came out.
Ring: Even though Naoya has faced many elite opponents before, did Nakatani feel like the strongest challenge yet? SI: Yes, but I felt similarly before the Stephen Fulton fight. I also felt that way before the Marlon Tapales fight and the MJ (Murodjon Akhmadaliev) fight. Every time, there are anxieties and concerns, and we prepare through training for each challenge. Nakatani was a three-division champion, very tall, and he had clearly built his body well for the weight. So my feeling was the same as with the other elite opponents we’ve faced in the past. That’s why we trained incredibly hard, prepared thoroughly and built confidence through the work. In the end, we trusted Naoya completely. Ring: After the fight, Naoya said he fought exactly according to plan. As you mentioned before the fight, was “controlling the space” one of the key themes? SI: That was exactly the image I had
Inoue times his raids brilliantly against an elite-level opponent.
inside and Nakatani tried to time him with a left hand. At that point, I told him, “If you rush in suddenly, he’ll try to catch you. Be careful of the left hand and especially the uppercut.” Managing and controlling that side of him is something I know very well. He’s my son, after all. As a parent, you understand what he’s thinking. (laughs) Ring: You always prepare multiple options for fights, but did this fight require more adjustments than usual? SI: Yes, definitely more than usual. But
that possibility firmly in our heads, there wasn’t fear. Even if he fought that way, we were prepared for it. Ring: So seeing the Nishida fight beforehand was extremely important in your preparation? SI: It was huge. Really huge. Whether he actually chose to fight that way or not was beside the point. The important thing was having the image prepared in our minds. Without that, reacting would have been difficult. Given the size difference, escaping from that type
everything depends on how the judges see the fight. So even when resting, my philosophy is that you should avoid giving away points if possible. Ring: How did your team score the fight? SI: I felt we had won almost all of the early rounds. In the end, though, there were judges who only had it by two or
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