Naoya Inoue offered his own take on the big headline to come out of his next title challenge.

A lengthy debate throughout the boxing community came of the speech made by Wahid Rahim, the head trainer of WBC/WBO junior featherweight titlist Stephen Fulton who has accused Inoue of ‘stacking’ his hand wraps. The claims made during Saturday’s pre-fight press conference is that the technique used by the unbeaten former three-division champion creates a simulated cast around his hands, which he wants addressed prior to fight night.

Inoue didn’t have much to say on the subject during the press conference but made sure to voice his opinion in both Japanese and English once he addressed the issue to his social media followers. He also offered some advice to the other side.

“Don't suck it up. Just Fight,” suggested the unbeaten Yokohama native ahead of his bid to become a four-division champ.

Fulton-Inoue headlines a show that will stream live Tuesday on Lemino in Japan and on ESPN+ in the U.S. from Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Most experts have picked Inoue (24-0, 21KOs) to unseat the long-reigning Fulton (21-0, 8KOs), who has held the WBO title since January 2021 and attempts his third overall title defense.

It is worth noting that Philadelphia’s Fulton did not say anything at all on the subject. In fact, Rahim disclosed that he was asked by the boxer to not raise the issue, though the 42-year-old trainer—who has been with Fulton since his January 2021 WBO title win over Angelo Leo—felt he needed to say something to protect the safety of his fighter.

The speech came with the threat of not allowing Fulton—who fights in Japan for the first time—to enter the ring if the matter isn’t resolved.

However, the resolution is already within the rules of the Japanese Boxing Commission. The technique in which Inoue’s hands are wrapped—tape on the skin, then gauze, then repeating in that sequence—is permitted in Japan and also in several commissions in the U.S., while others refer to the technique as ‘stacking.’

“Japan has its own local rules,” Inoue noted, who has also fought in Glasgow, Las Vegas and the greater Los Angeles area. “Even in the United States, there are local rules depending on the state, and the [wrapping] method is different.

“Our fight will be held in Japan on 25th, so of course I will follow the Japanese rules.”

Inoue previously held titles at junior flyweight, junior bantamweight and bantamweight. His eleventh-round knockout of Paul Butler last December 13 saw Inoue become the first to fully unify the bantamweight division in the multi-belt era and the first Asian at any weight to do so. A win on Tuesday will see him become Japan’s first boxer to claim unified title status in two or more weight divisions.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox