And this is just in a year
Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue in just a year it became absolute world champion in two weight categories. Last December, Inoue defeated Paul Butler to claim four major bantamweight titles. December 26, 2023 Naoya won ahead of schedule against Filipino Marlon Topalesadding WBC and WBO titles to his titles in the second bantamweight IBF and WBA belts.
The Inoue-Tapales fight, which took place in Tokyo, took place with the full advantage of the Japanese boxer. Naoya took the initiative from the first minutes, using his jab well and connecting with his right hand from time to time.
Starting from the second round, Inoue began to work more actively with his right hand, increasingly delivering blows to the target. Tapales defended himself surprisingly passively, perhaps counting on the right moment for a counterattack.
Starting from the fourth round, the fight became almost one-sided. Inoue hit more and more often and more noticeably, and at the end of the round he knocked down his opponent with a left hook.
Then the fight proceeded in a similar vein: Inoue attacked, and in a variety of ways, Tapales tried to defend himself and occasionally counterattack. In the eighth and ninth three-minute periods, the Filipino was close to another knockdown, but still managed to survive.
The climax came in the 10th round. A beautiful deuce from Inoue, with a powerful right, was right on target. Tapales found himself on the canvas again and failed to get up before the referee’s count ended.
For Inoue, the victory over Tapales was the 26th in 26 fights in the professional ring and the 23rd by stoppage. Naoya fought 21 championship matches, defeating 19 opponents in title fights. Great!
Source: Sportarena
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
