World Boxing Association ‘’super’’ and International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Naoya ‘’Monster’’ Inoue of Ohashi Boxing Gym was chosen as MVP for 2021 for the fourth straight time and his fifth overall on Jan. 29.

With his fifth overall award, Inoue, 28, has drawn level with former world flyweight champion Yoshio Shirai and former WBA light flyweight champion Yoko Gushiken in number.

Inoue, overwhelming other nominees for the prestigious award, said, ‘’I am happy and if I can show good fights this year again, I think I can break a record for my predecessors, which will increase my motivation. I am making efforts to get the award every year.’’

Inoue also captured the KO Prize as he scored knockout over Michael Dasmarinas of the Philippines in the third round for his title defense in June in Las Vegas, Nevada, and stopped Aran Dipaen of Thailand in the eighth stanza for another title defense in December in Tokyo.

‘’Since my boss (Mr. Hideyuki Ohashi) says this year will be an especially crucial year, I think I can get the award again if I can achieve what I want to achieve this year,’’ Inoue added.

While his next fight is likely to be postponed until May or June from the initially planned April due to COVID-19, World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire of the Philippines is considered his likely opponent to unify the titles. Inoue himself said he has always ‘’Donaire in mind in my training.’’ Though he scored a knockdown and decisioned Donaire in 2019 in a hard-fought battle, Inoue said determinedly, ‘’Since I failed to knock him out before, I hope I can do it this time around.’’
Inoue, who will turn 29 on April 10, makes it a rule to think, ‘’I am still 29, not already 29. That way, I think I can make further progress, ‘’ he added.

Inoue resumed sparring sessions about two weeks ago. At the same time, he has employed more muscle strength training at the advice of Ohashi gym trainer Akira Yaegashi, a former three-weight world champion.

Since it is hard training, Inoue has sometimes asked trainers to call off expected sparring sessions, according to Ohashi, who said Inoue is hoping to further boost his strength through the muscle exercise. Inoue also received the Knockout Award for 2021.

Besides Inoue, the Technique Prize went to World Boxing Organization super flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka of Shisei Boxing Gym for the third straight year.

Ioka 32, decisioned Francisco Rodriguez Jr of Mexico in September in a hard-fought bout for his third defense of the title and retained his title for the fourth time on New Year’s Eve by hammering out a unanimous decision over Ryoji Fukunaga of Kadoebi Boxing Gym. Fukunaga was picked in place of IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas of the Philippines.

Ancajas could not visit Japan because the Japanese government has banned new entries by foreigners from Nov. 30 as a measure against the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Ancajas and Ioka were supposed to have the title unification fight.

IBF super featherweight kingpin Kenichi Ogawa of Teiken Boxing Gym captured the Outstanding Performance Prize by decisioning Azinga Fuzile of South African in November in New York for the vacant title.

The technical knockout in the 10th round of Masamichi Yabuki of Midori Boxing Gym over the previously undefeated champion Kenshiro Teraji of BMB Boxing Gym for the WBC light flyweight title match on Sept. 22 in Kyoto was named the Best Fight as far as the world title matches were concerned.

Veteran Koichi Aso of Misako Boxing Gym, who battered Rikki Naito of E&J Cassius Boxing Gym into submission in the ninth round to capture the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super lightweight title on Dec. 14, won the Effort and Fighting Spirit Prize Awards.

Ryosuke Nishida of Muto Boxing Gym won the Young and Talented Boxer Awards by pounding out a one-sided decision over champion Daigo Higa of Ambition Gym to capture the WBO’s Asia-Pacific bantamweight title on Apr. 24.

In the female boxing, WBA female flyweight champion Naoko Fujioka of Shinji Takehara and Takanori Hatakeyama Boxer Fitness Gym won MVP for the first time in four years and for her sixth time overall.
The 46-year-old Fujioka pounded out a majority decision over sixth-ranked Sulem Urbina of Mexico to retain her title in Los Angeles California on July 9 (10 Japan time). The fight was selected as the Best Prize for a world championship fight.

‘’I am not fighting for a prize, and it is not my responsibility for the selection. But these kinds of awards will serve as my motivation. As long as I can fight, I will aim at achieving further progress. I am determined to conduct better fights,’’ Fujioka said.

‘’Maybe I am the oldest recipient of MVP. But I hope boxers in the younger generation will do better. I hope I can fight in the United States again this year. I think it is about time that even female boxers fought in the U.S.,’’ Fujioka, Japan’s only five-weight world champion, added.

Writers of eastern and western Japanese televisions, newspapers and specialized magazines entrusted by the Japan Boxing Commission selected the recipients by vote.

There will be no awards ceremony held as in last year due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.