Jaron \u2018Boots\u2019 Ennis has highlighted one fighter who he believes is \u201csmart enough\u201d to hand Naoya Inoue the first defeat of his illustrious professional career.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Monster\u2019 made a seventh successful defence of his undisputed crown last weekend, unanimously outpointing Junto Nakatani<\/a> at a sold-out Tokyo Dome.<\/p>\n Their super-bantamweight encounter delivered a high-IQ chess match, with three-weight world champion Nakatani gathering serious momentum between rounds eight and ten.<\/p>\n Inoue, however, responded in the manner of an elite competitor, securing a convincing points victory to remain the top dog at 122lbs.<\/p>\n In search of a new challenge, the 33-year-old could either move up to 126lbs \u2013 bidding to become a five-weight world champion \u2013 or enhance his remarkable legacy at super-bantamweight.<\/p>\n The plan, it seems, is for him to make at least one further defence of his four major belts, perhaps against unified world super-flyweight champion Jesse Rodriguez.<\/p>\n \u2018Bam\u2019 has been mooted as a potential opponent since it emerged that both sides have held preliminary talks, involving Turki Alalshikh, for a showdown in January 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n