Things got heated between Team Inoue and Team Rodriguez at Tuesday’s workout ahead of Saturday’s World Boxing Super Series semi-finals in Glagow, Scotland. The two matches this weekend are IBF bantamweight champion Emmanuel Rodriguez vs. Naoya Inoue and IBF junior welterweight champion Ivan Baranchyk vs. local hero Josh Taylor. The incident occurred when a member of Rodriguez’s team pushed Inoue’s father and trainer, Shingo Inoue as Shingo was taking photos of Rodriguez and his trainer, Freddie Roach.

 

“It was an open workout so naturally I was taking pictures and using the phone. A guy came over, after staring down at us from the ring, and said I couldn’t do it and pushed me aside. That was very ungentlemanlike,” said Shingo Inoue after his son’s workout. “The two fighters who have actually trained for this that’s what we are here to see and who is the better fighter. Outside of the ring, nothing needs to be hostile.”

 

Tensions were running high, but Team Inoue is not going to use it as fuel in Saturday’s semi-final. “I don’t think of those petty things and get emotional. It’s between Inoue and Rodriguez and that’s what they are here for. Let them work it out,” concluded The Ring Magazine’s ‘2018 Trainer of the Year’.

 

Team Rodriguez didn’t stay to watch Inoue’s workout, but the champion himself was in a good and talkative mood after his session. And he made it clear that he is in Scotland to make a statement. “We are going to shut some mouths,” said Rodriguez referring to Inoue being called the favourite by press and boxing fans. “I am going to take it round by round and in the end, I will win either by KO or decision.”

 

Naoya Inoue didn’t see the incident with his father, but he was oozing self-confidence and fully focused on the task ahead of him. “I am in great shape, I can’t wait for the fight. I am going to knockout Rodriguez on Saturday,” said the WBA champion. “I can’t predict the round, but I am going for the KO and it will happen sooner or later. I know what everyone is expecting from me.”

 

Tickets for the Monster WBSS Semi-Finals night, Ivan Baranchyk vs Josh Taylor and Naoya Inoue vs Emmanuel Rodriguez on 18 May at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland are on sale now from TheSSEHydro.com