Naoya Inoue beats Marlon Tapales to become undisputed super-bantamweight boxing champion
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Naoya Inoue becomes only the second man to unify all four world titles in two different weight classes.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO – Japan’s Naoya Inoue became an undisputed world boxing champion at a second weight on Dec 26, after knocking out the Philippines’ Marlon Tapales in the 10th round to claim all four super-bantamweight belts.
The unbeaten Inoue, nicknamed “Monster”, sent Tapales to the canvas with a huge straight in Tokyo to add the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles to his own World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) belts.
Inoue said: “He never showed fatigue or damage to his face, so I was quite surprised when he went down in the 10th round. It was one of the most intense fights I’ve had before, probably, but my corner cheered me up and kept me focused throughout the bout.”
Inoue, who took his record to 26-0 with 23 KOs, becomes only the second man to unify all four world titles in two different weight classes. Terence Crawford became the first after beating compatriot Errol Spence for all the welterweight belts in July.
The Japanese completed his rampage through the bantamweight division in December 2022, becoming the first undisputed world champion at the weight in half a century before vacating his titles.
Inoue said he felt “a sense of achievement” after following in the American’s footsteps.
The debate over who is the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer has now narrowed to Crawford and Inoue.
Former middleweight world title challenger Matthew Macklin told Sky Sports: “The general consensus is it’s between Inoue and Terence Crawford.”
Former undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor agreed, saying: “Those two guys have got to take No. 1 and No. 2. Absolutely.”
Said the 30-year-old Inoue: “I think super-bantamweight is the most suitable weight class for me at the moment. Next year and the year after that, I want to prove that I can become an even stronger fighter.”
He needed just two fights to become the super-bantamweight division’s first undisputed champion. He beat American Stephen Fulton in July in his debut at the weight to claim the WBC and WBO belts.
He went on the attack straight away against Tapales, who upset Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev by split decision in April to win the IBF and WBA titles.
Inoue landed some early punches, while the 31-year-old Tapales stayed in his defensive shell.
The Japanese fighter dropped his opponent at the end of the fourth round after a flurry of head shots, only for Tapales to get up and beat the count.
Japan’s Naoya Inoue sent the Philippines’ Marlon Tapales to the canvas with a huge straight in Tokyo.
PHOTO: AFP
Inoue went straight back to work at the start of the fifth, although Tapales also landed some big shots.
He steadied the ship but Inoue maintained the upper hand and finished his opponent with a ferocious straight right hand.
“I was impressed by Inoue’s technique as a boxer, and I was surprised by his speed,” said Tapales, whose record dropped to 37-4 with 19 KOs. “I just wasn’t able to catch up with him.”
Inoue has won world titles in four different weight divisions, having also triumphed at the light-flyweight and super-flyweight levels.
After Inoue vacated his titles, his younger brother Takuma claimed the WBA bantamweight belt in April with a win over Venezuela’s Liborio Solis. AFP
