“ This is the greatest fighter in the world, ” Bob Arum roared at the jam-packed IG Arena. He had reasons to be ecstatic. In front of a sold-out crowd, Naoya Inoue humbled a gung-ho Murodjon Akhmadaliev. He accomplished the feat just a few hours after Terence Crawford wrote history in Las Vegas. Once again, Inoue proved why he deserves the pound-for-pound slot. But even beyond the ropes, the undisputed champion seems to have stamped his authority. While he remains one of Japan’s biggest draws, Monster Inoue’s popularity appears to have surged across the globe as well.

Latest reports suggest, across the US and the UK, over 13 million fans watched the Inoue-MJ fight. The figures follow the initial confusion surrounding the fight broadcast. Just months ago, Top Rank and ESPN concluded th

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