THE ART OF RAISING CHAMPIONS
three points. That surprised me a bit. I thought we had clearly taken most of the first half. Even if we lost rounds, I thought it was only one or two. Maybe we got pushed back a little in the second half, but I still thought we had built a bigger cushion. Ring: When the fight became tighter in the middle rounds, the uppercut in Round 11 became a crucial punch that decided the fight. You had instructed Naoya from early on to use that right uppercut, correct? SI: Exactly. That was straight from our training. Since Nakatani is a southpaw, I told Naoya that whenever he got inside, the uppercut had to be there. In that position, both fighters are directly in front of each other, so the danger goes both ways. That’s why we couldn’t allow ourselves to get hit there – we had to land first. I told him to win those exchanges. Whether it was to the head or body, the instruction was to target whatever opening appeared in that instant. Only Naoya could judge that in the moment, because he’s the one inside that space. But we constantly talked about finding the best opening for the uppercut. Ring: With the victory over Nakatani, Naoya now has three consecutive decision wins. Recently, it seems he’s no longer obsessed with knockouts. After experiencing several knockdowns in recent years, did you two discuss changing that mentality? SI: Not specifically because of that. It’s just Naoya’s personality. If he fights aggressively, knockouts will naturally come. But personally, I don’t think you need to obsess over knockouts. They’re not something you can force
easily. When fighters try too hard for a KO, they often become reckless and their natural technique falls apart. When people around you say, “This opponent is beneath you,” fighters sometimes try to overwhelm opponents by force, and that can lead to sloppy boxing and getting hit unnecessarily. I think it’s better for Naoya to fight his style, damage the opponent, and if an opportunity for a knockout appears, then take it. If that chance never comes, then winning by decision is perfectly fine. I personally don’t have any obsession with knockouts. Ring: After the Ramon Cardenas fight last May, Naoya said, “I may need to rethink the way I fight.” Did you say anything to him about that? SI: Yes, I did. I told him that forcing things carries risks, so we need to progress step by step. Rather than relying on brute force, you break opponents down piece by piece. You apply pressure, change rhythm and intensity, and build the fight that way. If you do that, knockout opportunities will naturally come. But if you try to overpower someone from the very beginning, opponents become cautious and mentally prepared, which actually makes knockouts harder. Naoya’s best performances have never come from chasing knockouts. The knockout punches came naturally within the flow of the fight. That was true against Emmanuel Rodriguez and also against Fulton. That’s the kind of boxing I want Naoya to continue showing going forward. Ring: Next, let’s talk about Takuma, who defeated Kazuto Ioka. Takuma’s growth over these last two fights has
been remarkable. Especially in this fight, the two early knockdowns he scored with counters against such an experienced fighter like Ioka were spectacular. SI: Actually, from my angle, the first knockdown was blocked and I couldn’t see it clearly. During the interval, I asked Takuma, “What punch was that?” and he said, “A right hand.” But I could tell Ioka had taken significant damage, so I was honestly surprised. Ring: It looked like there was quite a gap in speed and athleticism at this stage. SI: We were confident that Takuma wouldn’t lose in terms of speed. At the same time, we also knew Ioka has tremendous pride and mental toughness, so we expected him to apply pressure. That’s why I kept telling Takuma in training that he had to create the kind of pressure that would keep Ioka from getting inside or moving forward comfortably. Ring: In that sense, was it a performance you were satisfied with? SI: Overall, absolutely. The key was the jab. Takuma used to have stretches where he didn’t throw enough jabs, but against Ioka, the jab was everything. I believed that if he could at least break even with the jab battle, he would definitely win. So we trained that extensively. Jabs while moving to create rhythm. A jab after every right hand. We wanted everything to start from the jab before launching attacks. Defensively as well, the plan was to stop Ioka’s forward movement with the jab. If you do that, it becomes very difficult for Ioka to establish his pace. That was the strategy, and he executed it in training. I thought his jab was excellent in the fight too. With that jab and footwork, I honestly wasn’t that worried. Ring: It was a wide decision, almost a perfect victory, wasn’t it? SI: Well, it went according to training, and the result itself was excellent. But from the perspective of someone who’s
used to be lacking, but now it’s become much stronger. I believe your body has to react naturally without conscious thought, and recently I can clearly see that awareness growing in him. Ring: Before the Nasukawa fight last fall, there was the story that you didn’t attend the kickoff press conference because you weren’t satisfied with Takuma’s approach to training. What triggered this change in attitude? SI: His mindset changed. I spoke to him from many different angles and in many different ways. I told him, “If you’re going to do this halfheartedly, then don’t do it at all. Just quit. But if you’re going to continue, then
Takuma Inoue has never looked better than he did against Ioka.
worked with him closely, there are still moments where I think, “That’s such a waste.” He landed good shots and good combinations. Ideally, after that, he should add feints. If the opponent is still reacting well, that’s fine, but if he senses damage, then he should initiate the next action and press forward. That’s something we work on in training. Yet even after landing clean punches, he sometimes falls into the bad habit of watching the opponent instead of capitalizing. Ring: Ioka looked badly hurt at times, so it seemed like Takuma maybe could have created even bigger moments. SI: I’m not saying, “Just go crazy and attack.” If you do that against a veteran as experienced as Ioka, he can turn danger into opportunity. That’s why I wanted Takuma to break him down at his own pace. But at times, he became too cautious and watched too much. That cautiousness is also part of what makes Takuma good, so it’s complicated, but I still want him to do the work necessary to create decisive moments. I pointed that out to him afterward as well.
do it in a way that leaves no regrets. If you train as hard as possible, do everything you can, and still lose, then I won’t say anything. Nobody would blame you.” But when I watched his training before, I kept feeling “a little more, a little more,” and if the results didn’t come after that, it would really bother me. Now, though, Takuma’s mindset has changed. He doesn’t say “I give up” anymore. Before, even in running sessions, he would fade at the end. Now he pushes through until the finish and finds another step when it matters. I can see it and feel it. That’s the biggest difference. I can genuinely feel that he truly wants to become stronger and win. Ring: From here, I’d also like to ask about you personally. How would you put your philosophy as a trainer into words? SI: Ever since Naoya and Takuma were little, what I’ve taught them is to hit without getting hit. To show strength through technique and skill. In the end, boxing isn’t just about trading punches. Whether it’s to avoid accumulating damage or to win rounds, you can’t
Ring: Even if he’s not yet the finished product, after the Tenshin Nasukawa fight last fall and now this one, Takuma looked far more confident. From your perspective, knowing him both inside and outside the ring, what has changed over these last two fights? SI: His mentality toward training. It’s not that he wasn’t training before, but to become a world champion – and more than that, to become a level above other world champions – ordinary effort isn’t enough. Even if you do the same drills, you have to do them with more intensity and deeper understanding. You have to explore every aspect. Before, his mindset toward training hadn’t fully reached the same level as mine. I wanted more from him. I wanted him to think more for himself, to visualize more, to approach things differently. It’s not about training longer. It’s about how deeply you’re thinking and concentrating during that hour or hour and a half. That depth
“Naoya’s best performances have never come from chasing knockouts. The knockout punches came naturally within the flow of the fight .”
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