Inoue (32-0, 27 KOs) vs. Nakatani (32-0, 24 KOs) is the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history and one of the most intriguing matchups of the last quarter century, pitting top-ranked, undefeated pound-for-pound lynchpins in their prime against each other.

Inoue seeks to defend his undisputed junior featherweight title for a seventh time in what should be the toughest fight of his illustrious career and perhaps a passing of the torch in front of 55,000 fans at Tokyo Dome.

“It may very well be one of the fights of the generation,” Arum told The Ring. “It is such a great and exciting fight between a pair of extraordinarily skilled fighters.

“Nakatani is a tremendous fighter who is very skilled and has a lot of punching power. But Inoue seems to me to be a generational fighter and one of the best fighters around. He can box, punch, can take a punch and is very smart.

“They are tremendous fighters, technically, so it could go the distance, but I could also see it ending in a knockout, one way or the other. The fight can go either way but if I had to bet, I'd take Inoue.”

Arum, who said Top Rank is still involved with Inoue and Nakatani after years of partnering as their United States promoter, went on to compare the clash to one of the greatest wars in boxing history.

“It's going to be like Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns,” said Arum, an iconic encounter he promoted in 1985.

Although Arum favors Inoue, he’s perplexed because he’s such a wide betting favorite. DraftKings has Inoue listed at -400 and Nakatani at +300.

“The fight is not as wide as the oddsmakers have it,” said Arum. “Maybe it’s a 3/2 fight. The line is dictated by the reputation Inoue has gotten over the years. He's gotten more exposure than Nakatani, and that's what that line reflects. Not that he shouldn't be the favorite. He should be. But not that wide of a margin.

“Inoue getting older is an obvious concern as he continues fighting. 32 is just a number and it depends on the individual. So far I have not seen any slippage for Inoue.”

Arum however, is showing some signs of age. At 94, he’s recovering from recent knee replacement surgery.

But if you think that’s going to stop him from making every effort to be ringside in Japan to watch the fight from the front row, think again.

“I'm learning to walk again. The doctor is shocked with the progress I've made. Although, I'm not completely stable. So let's call it a game-time decision,” said Arum.

If Arum is unable to travel, he'll watch the fight on DAZN like the rest of the world.

“I have to see if I'm strong enough to get on a long flight and endure the walking," said Arum. "So I'm not sure yet. But I do know that this is going to be an amazing fight that everyone needs to watch.”

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan