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Home > Match Information > ‘Monster’ Inoue named MVP for 2022 for historical record of 6 times overall

‘Monster’ Inoue named MVP for 2022 for historical record of 6 times overall

Feb 09, 2023 10:20 am

Former undisputed world bantamweight champion Naoya ‘’The Monster’’ Inoue of Ohashi Boxing Gym was chosen as MVP for 2022 for the fifth straight time and his sixth overall on Feb. 8.

Inoue, 29, amassed 33 of the total 36 votes and captured the prestigious award for an all-time record, surpassing the previous five times shared by former world flyweight champion Yoshio Shirai and former World Boxing Association light flyweight champion Yoko Gushiken.

Inoue also captured the KO Prize for the third straight year and his sixth overall.

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

Inoue stopped then World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire of the Philippines in the second round for his third title in the division in June and unified the bantamweight titles by getting an 11th-round technical knockout over then World Boxing Organization kingpin Paul Butler of Britain in December for the first such feat for a Japanese boxer.

Kenshiro Teraji of B.M.B. Boxing Gym, who unified the WBC and WBA light flyweight titles, captured the Technique Prize by getting 21 votes. Teraji, 31, regained the WBC title by knocking out Masamichi Yabuki of Midori Boxing Gym, to whom Yabuki lost the title in September 2021, in their direct rematch. Teraji then added the WBA crown in November by stopping Hiroto Kyoguchi of Watanabe Boxing Gym in the seventh round.

Former WBO flyweight champion Junto Nakatani of M.T Boxing Gym was given the Outstanding Performance Prize for his second time as the undefeated southpaw garnered 19 votes for his successful defense of the flyweight title in April and his victory in his super flyweight bout in November. Nakatani won the prize by a narrow margin as Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation and WBO’s Asia-Pacific lightweight champion Shuichiro Yoshino of Misako Boxing Gym tallied the same number of votes in the first ballot.

The Effort and Fighting Spirit Prize Awards went to the WBO’s Asia-Pacific and Japanese featherweight champion Reiya Abe of KG Yamato Boxing Gym as he beat highly touted then Japanese featherweight ruler Hinata Maruta of Morioka Boxing Gym in May. Abe garnered 21 votes.

Yoshiki Takei of Ohashi gym won the Rookie of the Year Award as the former K-1 champion captured the OPBF super bantamweight crown in August and successfully defended the title in December, extending his unbeaten streak to six, all by KO, since making his debut in 2021. He garnered 27 votes.

The fight between then WBA middleweight super champion Ryota Murata of Teiken Boxing Gym and Gennadiy Golovkin of Kazakhstan at Saitama Super Arena, north of Tokyo, in April won the Best Bout Award in the world championships by getting 27 votes.

The WBO’s Asia-Pacific lightweight title match between Yoshino and challenger Masayoshi Nakatani of Teiken gym was selected as the Domestic Best Bout Award by amassing 27 votes. Yoshino, regarded as an underdog, knocked out highly talented Nakatani in an impressive fashion.

In the female boxing, Mizuki Hiruta of Misako gym was selected as MVP as Hiruta, a former top amateur boxer, captured the vacant WBO super flyweight title by decisioning Kanako Taniyama of Watanabe gym in December in her fourth professional bout. She captured 21 votes.

The 10-round fight between Hiruta and Taniyama was also given the Best Bout Award by collecting 22 votes.

The awards ceremony will be held on Feb. 22 at Tokyo Dome Hotel.

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