Naoya Inoue Vs Aran Dipaen to be aired on Japanese PPV
Back on October 29th Hideyuki Ohashi officially announced that WBA and IBF Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (21-0, 18) [井上 尚弥] would face Thai challenger Aran Dipaen (12-2, 11) [แก่นนคร ศักดิ์กรีรินทร์] on December 14th at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, in what seemed like a bit of fan service for Japanese fans, who hadn't see their star fight in Japan since November 2019, when he beat Nonito Donaire.
Sadly however the bouts seems like a bit of fan service, and instead a move away from what we've become accustomed to in Japanese boxing. Instead of working with Inoue's usual broadcaster, Fuji TV, the bout will instead be streamed on PPV via PBX world, on the ABEMA streaming service. Potentially ending the long, and successful, relationship between Inoue and Fuji TV, who's future in the sport is starting to look worrying uncertain.
Fuji had, at one point, the best TV roster of any channel in Japan, working with Inoue, Ryota Murata [村田 諒太], Kenshiro Teraji [寺地 拳四朗], Daigo Higa [比 嘉 大吾], Masayuki Ito [伊藤 雅雪] and Akira Yaegashi [八重樫 東], all being shown on free TV. Sadly though those days seem to be long gone, with Yaegashi now retired, Ito having not featured on the channel since losing the WBO Super Featherweight title, Higa now being shown on rival network TBS, Kenshiro having his last two bouts streamed online and Murata now seemingly linking up with Amazon Prime, and Inoue going to PPV on a streaming service. It now seems as if Fuji TV have cut live boxing out of their schedule, a worrying sign of what may be to come.
At the press conference to announce the broadcaster for the bout the price of the event was revealed to be 3,960 Japanese Yen (around £26 or $35), and the full card will be shown.
Whilst PPV has taken off in boxing in the US and UK, among other countries, one of the best things about boxing in Japan was the wide access to the sport, with big bouts typically being on free TV. This move, sadly, appears to signal that the biggest stars in Japanese boxing are now no longer going to be as accessible as they've been in the past, which is a huge shame, but unfortunately a sign of the times.
Sadly however the bouts seems like a bit of fan service, and instead a move away from what we've become accustomed to in Japanese boxing. Instead of working with Inoue's usual broadcaster, Fuji TV, the bout will instead be streamed on PPV via PBX world, on the ABEMA streaming service. Potentially ending the long, and successful, relationship between Inoue and Fuji TV, who's future in the sport is starting to look worrying uncertain.
Fuji had, at one point, the best TV roster of any channel in Japan, working with Inoue, Ryota Murata [村田 諒太], Kenshiro Teraji [寺地 拳四朗], Daigo Higa [比 嘉 大吾], Masayuki Ito [伊藤 雅雪] and Akira Yaegashi [八重樫 東], all being shown on free TV. Sadly though those days seem to be long gone, with Yaegashi now retired, Ito having not featured on the channel since losing the WBO Super Featherweight title, Higa now being shown on rival network TBS, Kenshiro having his last two bouts streamed online and Murata now seemingly linking up with Amazon Prime, and Inoue going to PPV on a streaming service. It now seems as if Fuji TV have cut live boxing out of their schedule, a worrying sign of what may be to come.
At the press conference to announce the broadcaster for the bout the price of the event was revealed to be 3,960 Japanese Yen (around £26 or $35), and the full card will be shown.
Whilst PPV has taken off in boxing in the US and UK, among other countries, one of the best things about boxing in Japan was the wide access to the sport, with big bouts typically being on free TV. This move, sadly, appears to signal that the biggest stars in Japanese boxing are now no longer going to be as accessible as they've been in the past, which is a huge shame, but unfortunately a sign of the times.