(Tokyo) Japan’s Naoya Inoue is already cleaning up the super bantamweight: former light flyweight, super flyweight and bantamweight champion, he beat Stephen Fulton by referee stoppage in the eighth round to grab the WBC and WBO superbantamweight belts that the American was defending on Tuesday in Tokyo.
The “Monster”, his nickname, won his 25th victory – the 22nd before the limit – in as many fights.
Fulton was knocked down on a straight right electric followed by a terrible left hook from Inoue. He got up, but the Japanese then cornered him in a corner of the ring and drunk with blows, causing the referee to stop the fight.
“In the category, I think I can still improve. I only hold two belts and my goal is to win all four,” the new WBC/WBO champion said after his win at Ariake Arena.
An explicit message addressed to the Filipino Marlon Tapales, holder of the WBA and IBF belts. The latter, present in combat on Tuesday, did not shirk, declaring his intention to face Inoue in order to “prove” who he is “the champion”.
Inoue, one of today’s greatest boxers in any category, moved up to the super bantamweight in January after becoming the first undisputed bantamweight champion since Paul Butler in 1972.
His victory over Fulton makes Inoue a champion in four categories now, at 30: light fly, super fly, bantam and super bantam.