Calling out smaller fighters is not bravery. True courage would be demanding an immediate date with Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs). The six-foot-one WBO featherweight champion represents a genuine nightmare for Inoue. Espinoza punches downward, controls distance, and will not surrender leverage to a fighter accustomed to bullying blown-up bantamweights.

Instead of jumping straight at Espinoza, Inoue is tiptoeing. He is talking about retiring before the physical decline catches him, handing veto power to his father, Shingo Inoue, and promoter Hideyuki Ohashi.

“Actually, I’m the one who told him that,” Inoue said to The Ring. “I’ve told my father and Hideyuki Ohashi, the chairman, that if they see signs of decline, they should stop me. The reason is that if I try to decide for myself when it’s time to quit, I probably won’t be able to do it. There are a lot of fighters who can’t make that decision and end up continuing for too long. I want to retire while I’m still good, while I’m still in a good place.”

That is smart business, not daring heroism. Inoue wants to launch a promotional firm in Japan after hanging up his gloves. Keeping that unblemished record intact preserves his commercial brand. Getting handled by a legitimate featherweight like Espinoza would damage the marketing machine.

Inoue (33-0, 27 KOs) wants the public to believe he is running toward danger. In reality, he is hand-picking a smaller target in Bam while keeping one eye on the exit door before someone with real size exposes the limits of his power.