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After making his debut in Junior Flyweight division (the second-lowest division in men’s boxing), Naoya Inoue earned himself a domestic title by his fourth fight, and a continental title in his fifth. In his sixth fight he conquered the WBC Junior Flyweight title to become a world champion at the age of just 20, mere days before turning 21. 

After defending his title once, Inoue moved up two divisions to compete as a Junior Bantamweight (or Super Flyweight) in 2014 where he went on to win his second world title (WBO) in his first match in that weight class. 

He would go on to hold and defend his title for the next three years, comfortably retaining his title at least seven times. In 2018, he moved up to Bantamweight where he had similar success, quickly conquering the WBA (regular) title before participating in the WBSS which was a tournament designed for the highest-ranking contenders and the reigning champions of other governing bodies.

Naoya Inoue proved to be successful in the World Boxing Super Series – where he managed to win the IBF title, the super version of the WBA’s world title and The Ring’s lineal title – and after beating fellow world champion Nonito Donaire in the tournament’s final in 2019, he became the Bantamweight division’s unified champion, with only the WBO and WBC titles missing to make him undisputed.

Naoya Inoue would continue to defend his titles four times over the next couple of years, winning the WBC Bantamweight title in a second match with Nonito Donaire. Inoue became  undisputed for the first time after facing WBO champion Paul Butler on December 13th in 2022. By Inoue beating Butler by knockout, he won the only title (WBO) left and became the first undisputed Bantamweight champion of the modern four-belt era, as well as the first undisputed champion in fifty years.

Moving up to Super Bantamweight to seek for new challenges, a match between Naoya Inoue and unified champion Stephen Fulton was eventually arranged for July 25th in 2023. On fight night, Inoue proved to be in lethal form once more as he beat by TKO in the 8th round to become the new WBC and WBO Super Bantamweight world champion.

Inoue became an undisputed super bantamweight champion on December 26 in 2023 after defeating unified champion Marlon Tapales (WBA & IBF champion at 122 lbs) by TKO. Inoue also captured The Ring lineal title in the process. In 2024 on May 6th, Inoue tested himself against Mexican contender Luis Nery and despite suffering a shock knockdown in the 1st round―Inoue came back to knockout Nery in the 6th round to retain all his 122 lbs world titles since becoming undisputed.