On September 3, Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed super bantamweight championship against former titleholder TJ Doheny at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by ESPN+ in the U.S.
Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) has been a world champion for almost a decade and he's one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. As is often the case, the Japanese hero is a prohibitive favourite to destroy his next challenger and continue his march towards the Hall of Fame.
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Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs) vows to give Inoue a stern test and he certainly has the experience, punching power, and natural size to put up a fight. The Irishman has halted three opponents in succession on Japanese soil and looks to spring the colossal upset and become a two-time world champion.
However, if Doheny goes the way of all flesh, then what can we expect Inoue to do next?
The Sporting News takes a look at possible future opponents for "The Monster".
Will Naoya Inoue fight Murodjon Akhmadaliev?
Akhmadaliev was supposed to fight Inoue last year but was relieved of his unified super bantamweight crown by Marlon Tapales, who then fell victim to "The Monster" in December.
Given that Inoue is the biggest money option available in this weight class, "MJ" would be more than happy to accept the assignment. Since the Tapales setback, the Uzbekistani star has bounced back with a convincing stoppage win over Kevin Gonzalez and he's still full of ambition.
The 29-year-old Akhmadaliev was an amateur standout, capturing silver at the 2015 World Championships and bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Signature wins have come against Daniel Roman, Ryosuke Iwasa and Ronny Rios.
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Will Naoya Inoue fight Sam Goodman?
In June, Goodman, the IBF and WBO No. 1 challenger, flew over 4,000 miles from Australia to Japan to watch Inoue annihilate Luis Nery. He then called out "The Monster" during post-fight interviews.
However, shortly thereafter, Goodman's management confirmed that they would be taking a tuneup fight before their first world title shot. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's perhaps an acknowledgement that the 19-0 boxer-puncher remains a work in progress.
As expected, the Australian battered Thailand's Thachtana Luangphon over 12 rounds and claimed a wide unanimous decision in July.
With wins over Doheny and the previously unbeaten Ra'eese Aleem, Goodman is a quality operator and he's on the cusp of a huge fight. With that said, there isn't much in the way of demand for an Inoue showdown, so it's difficult to envision this one happening next.
If Inoue is willing to travel, then it would be a colossal event in Australia.
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Will Naoya Inoue move to featherweight?
This is the biggest question surrounding Inoue at the moment. With the super bantamweight division all but wiped out, fans are desperate to see if "The Monster" can get his jaws around a 126-pound opponent.
At time of writing, Angelo Leo is the IBF featherweight champ, Nick Ball holds the WBA crown, Rey Vargas is the long-reigning WBC boss, and the 6-1 Rafael Espinoza is the WBO's titleholder.
Any one of these fights would be attractive, but the brain trust surrounding Inoue has insisted that the pound-for-pound superstar is still comfortable at 122 pounds.
Due to the destruction that Inoue has brought to super bantamweight, he may be forced to move north before his body is ready to do so.