Grading Greatness: Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford

The following article was originally published in the August-September 2023 issue of The Ring.

IN CAREER-DEFINING SUPERFIGHTS 5,500 MILES APART, TERENCE CRAWFORD AND NAOYA INOUE VIED FOR POUND-FOR-POUND SUPREMACY. CRAWFORD TOOK THE TOP SPOT, BUT IT’S CLOSE… IT’S VERY CLOSE.

The gap in quality between the No. 1 and No. 2 fighters on The Ring’s mythical pound-for-pound list is so small that you’d struggle to squeeze a single horsehair from an old-school boxing glove between them.

Over four days in July, Japanese juggernaut Naoya Inoue and American artist Terence Crawford turned in career-best performances against elite-level rivals and sent shockwaves through the sport. They didn’t just win their respective bouts, they thoroughly dominated and took already formidable reputations to new heights.

On July 25, Inoue won almost every round against the previously unbeaten Stephen Fulton before closing out with a violent eighth-round stoppage. The victory saw Inoue claim WBC and WBO junior featherweight titles. Utilizing a sharp left jab to the solar plexus throughout the contest, Inoue suddenly used that weapon to disguise a back-breaking right to the head in Round 8. Fulton froze, then touched down for a split second, but “The Monster” was on him before the referee could initiate a count. A jolting left hook decked “Cool Boy Steph” heavily and the bout was over shortly thereafter. 

On July 29, Crawford made his own statement, and the consensus is that it was even more emphatic. A matchup between the unbeaten switch-hitter from Omaha and fellow welterweight champ and pound-for-pound entrant Errol Spence Jr. was five years in the making. Fans and experts envisioned a razor-close contest between boxing savants, and opinion was split on the outcome. Crawford, known as “Bud,” missed that memo and produced a virtuoso display that will never be forgotten by anyone who witnessed it. Spence was floored three times before the ninth-round stoppage and was absorbing a shellacking prior to the referee’s merciful intervention.

When all was said and done, the Ring Ratings Panel decided that Crawford had earned the No. 1 pound-for-pound spot. That decision was made via democratic vote and the response from fight fans was largely favorable. However, given the fact this argument can’t be settled in the ring due to the weight disparity, The Ring now goes in depth on both men’s attributes in an attempt to grade their greatness.

 

SPEED

Crawford: While not cut from the same cloth as Meldrick Taylor, Crawford does have excellent hand speed when he opens up. Like many elite-level professionals, “Bud” will change the speed and power on his shots to make him more difficult to time for a counterpunch. However, when he decides to go through the gears, look out!

Grade: B+

Inoue: The Monster’s speed is a major asset, and whether he’s leading or countering, it’s never a good idea for fans to blink when a round is in progress. Both Jason Moloney and Nonito Donaire (fight two) were floored by counterpunches that they didn’t see coming, and the speed of the shots in question was simply dazzling. Inoue has fast-twitch muscle fibers to spare and his timing is exemplary.

Grade: A

 

“[Inoue’s] speed is the reason why he’s such a great puncher. A lot of times speed is power because you don’t get a chance to brace for the punches. If you see a punch coming you can brace for impact, but with Inoue you can’t brace for impact. He just hits you and boom.” – Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, acclaimed coach

 

POWER

Crawford: “Bud” has the kind of power that causes damage over time. Now in his third weight class, the welterweight champ has stopped all eight of his opponents at 147 pounds, and he hasn’t been taken the distance in seven years. Few expected Crawford to stop Shawn Porter or Spence, but neither man reached the championship rounds. While not regarded as an authentic knockout artist, those results speak for themselves. With 31 stoppages in his 40 wins, Crawford currently has a 77.5 percent knockout ratio.

Grade: B

Inoue: Where do you start? From 108 to 122 pounds, the Japanese powerhouse has gone through the opposition like a blowtorch through butter. With 22 knockouts in 25 wins, Inoue has an 88 percent knockout ratio and he’s arguably the hardest pound-for-pound puncher alive. Only Deontay Wilder can put forth a reasonable argument, but the former heavyweight champ has one signature weapon – his right hand. Inoue can hurt you with both hands, with any punch, on any target area.

Grade: A+

 

“You can’t take a chance of being nailed by a big punch from [Inoue].” – Nonito Donaire, former Inoue opponent

 

TECHNIQUE

Crawford: Crawford is a complete fighter – period. His jab is perfection and it sets up a varied offense that few fighters can contend with. While he’s constantly improvising in the ring, the champion’s shots are released with the type of sharpness and timing you’d expect from a pound-for-pound number one. There’s nothing that Crawford can’t do in the ring and his technique is beyond reproach. Ask anyone who has shared a ring with him.

Grade: A+

Inoue: While there’s little in the way of flash when it comes to Inoue, the four-weight world champ approaches this sport with a kind of boxing purity. Every single punch in his arsenal looks like it’s been lifted directly from the manual and perfected. Sometimes, Inoue puts so much into a shot that you expect him to spin round in circles, but his excellent balance helps him to regain his shape in an instant. 

Grade: A+

 

“Technically, Crawford is the best I’ve ever been in the ring with. I’ve been hit harder, but technically he’s the best. When I was in there with him, he always seemed to be one step ahead.” – Ricky Burns, former Crawford opponent

 

DEFENSE

Crawford: This is an area where Crawford carries the magic dust. Everything works in unison – feet, upper-body movement, selective use of the guard, reflexes – and opponents are frequently left chasing shadows. It’ll be hard for some to accept, but even a great fighter like Spence was made to miss like a novice in a fight that was supposedly 50-50 coming in. Crawford can be caught – Egidijus Kavaliauskas should have been awarded a knockdown against him in 2019 – but if the likes of Willie Pep, Wilfred Benitez and Floyd Mayweather are A+ in this area, then Bud isn’t far behind.

Grade: A

Inoue: With Inoue being such a devastating knockout machine, his reliance on defense is not as high as other fighters at the elite level. To be clear, he’s not easy to hit, and the mere threat of an explosive counterpunch is enough to keep a lot of fighters from even letting their hands go against him. A prime Mike Tyson had the same effect on his opponents. But with all that said, Donaire caused Inoue significant damage in their first encounter and rocked him to his boots. If you do manage to score clean on “The Monster,” just make sure to avoid what’s coming back.

Inoue: B

 

“Terence is a very good fighter. He can switch-hit, he’s got good distance, balance and good power. He’s very good.” – Kell Brook, former Crawford opponent

 

ADAPTABILITY

Crawford: Despite being right-handed, the undisputed welterweight king boxes mostly as a southpaw. However, he can switch between stances effortlessly, and if you didn’t know that he was right-handed, then you’d have to guess what side was natural. Simply put, Crawford is as good a switch-hitter as there’s ever been. He can outpunch the punchers (see Julius Indongo and David Avanesyan) and outbox the boxers (see Viktor Postol and Spence). The champion also reads a 12-rounder very well and can adapt on the fly at a moment’s notice. When informed by his corner that he could be behind on points against Porter, “Bud” upped the pace in the following round and scored the stoppage. 

Grade: A+

Inoue: Most of the time, Inoue gets things all his own way. He’s so talented and powerful that opponents are usually dealt with before the ability to adapt even becomes a factor. For evidence, it should be noted that 15 of Inoue’s 24 wins have come inside six rounds. However, there have been occasions when opponents gave him movement and he became frustrated. Antonio Nieves ran like a rabbit in what was Inoue’s U.S. debut, and the Japanese star was guilty of following him around until scoring a sixth-round stoppage. The same was true in his undisputed bantamweight title win over the quick-footed Paul Butler, who lasted into the 11th.

Grade: B+

 

“I think Crawford is the cream of the crop. He’s a complete fighter, he’s very clever, and he has the spitefulness as well.” – Josh Taylor, former undisputed junior welterweight champion

 

FINISHING INSTINCTS

Crawford: Bud is in no rush to take an opponent out, but he is extremely spiteful in the ring. If an opponent gets too ambitious or brave, he will immediately move up a gear and put them back on the defensive. This was evident against both Ricky Burns, in what was Crawford’s first world title fight, and the then-unbeaten Yuriorkis Gamboa. It would be wrong to criticize Crawford’s patience, because he’s a cerebral ring general who knows where he is at all times. The bottom line is that he gets the job done, as evidenced by his 11-fight knockout streak at championship level.

Grade: B+

Inoue: Inoue is called “The Monster” for a reason, and you can count the number of times the Japanese hero has let someone off the hook on your thumbs. He had Donaire ready to be taken in their classic first encounter in 2019 but had to settle for a points win. However, a timely and somewhat strange intervention from the referee gave Donaire precious seconds to recover from a debilitating body-shot knockdown in the 11th. In the rematch, Donaire was destroyed in two rounds, and world-class fighters such as Jamie McDonnell, Emmanuel Rodriguez and of course Fulton were devoured as soon as Inoue broke through.

Grade: A+

 

“You meet [Inoue] face-to-face, then see him in the ring and it’s like two totally different people. It’s like he’s walking around with bazookas in his gloves. It’s unbelievable that Inoue has that much power for such a small man.” – Joe Gallagher, 2015 Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year 

 

QUALITY OF OPPOSITION

Crawford: Crawford needed Spence like a hemophiliac needs blood. Everyone knew Bud was gifted, but fans and experts needed to see his tools function against one of the best fighters in the world. We’ve seen it now, and anyone with one iota of boxing knowledge knows this man is special. While Crawford is in his mid-30s, the good news is – like Bernard Hopkins before him – he’s a fresh fighter in his mid-30s. Having crossed over to superstar status, the pound-for-pound king is making all the right noises when it comes to his future. He’s mentioned Jermell Charlo and even Canelo Alvarez as potential opponents.

Grade: B+

Inoue: Some of Inoue’s early outings are overlooked by fans who only discovered him during the bantamweight World Boxing Super Series tournament. In just his eighth pro fight, Inoue battered decorated Argentine Omar Narvaez to a second-round stoppage defeat and won the WBO junior bantamweight title. Granted, Narvaez was 38 years old, but he’d made 11 title defenses and no one had ever treated him in such fashion. Context? Narvaez is now on the ballot for Hall of Fame induction. Inoue’s best wins have come against Donaire (twice) and Fulton, but one senses that his biggest tests lie ahead of him.

Grade: B

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Crawford: Having won world titles at lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight, Crawford is the only male fighter to have claimed double undisputed honors (140 and 147 pounds) in the four-belt era. Any historian worth two cents hates the term “four-belt era,” but this was an incredible achievement. Now established as the finest pound-for-pound fighter in the world today, Crawford is far from finished, and his legacy could grow yet further if he can secure the superfights he has mentioned during his post-Spence victory lap.

Grade: A

Inoue: In December 2022, Inoue became the first undisputed bantamweight champion in almost half a century when he stopped Paul Butler. Before his reign of terror at 118 pounds, “The Monster” had claimed world titles at junior flyweight and junior bantamweight and briefly held The Ring’s No. 1 pound-for-pound spot. Fiercely determined to become boxing’s greatest-ever fighter, Inoue didn’t even test himself at junior featherweight prior to challenging Fulton, who was No. 1 at that weight. Now a four-weight world ruler, only IBF and WBA champion Marlon Tapales stands in the way of Inoue joining Crawford and Claressa Shields as double-undisputed world champions.

Grade: B+

 

FINAL GRADES

Crawford: A-

Inoue: A-

 

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Signs of Things to Come

Inoue and Crawford were both featured on our cover (Inoue twice) earlier in their careers. Click the images to check out what we thought of them back then.

 

FEBRUARY 2019:

 

MAY 2019:

 

SEPTEMBER 2019:

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