Japanese boxing star Naoya Inoue bolstered his claim as the world’s best fighter regardless of weight on Tuesday when he laid waste to Stephen Fulton to capture the WBC and WBO junior featherweight titles, becoming a world champion in a fourth different weight class.
Inoue (25-0, 22 KO) dominated the action from the opening bell at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, outboxing the taller, longer champion from Philadelphia over seven punishing rounds before dropping him early in the eighth. Fulton was able to beat the count but was soon brought to heel under a hail of blows, prompting the referee to wave the fight off at the 1:14 mark.
Less than one year after making history by stopping Britain’s Paul Butler in the same venue to unify all four world titles at bantamweight, the 30-year-old Inoue further bolstered his pound-for-pound credentials in improving to to 20-0 with 18 knockouts in world championship fights.
Inoue’s stabbing jab, blinding hand speed and twitchy in-and-out movement troubled Fulton from the first round, making the champion appear tentative and unable to get off. Inoue outboxed his opponent badly in the opening stages, leaving him with a trickle of blood flowing from his nose while in full retreat during the third.
Even when Fulton (21-1, 8 KOs) enjoyed rare pockets of success, like when he strung together a couple of combinations during strongest moments in the fifth round, Inoue responded immediately and with prejudice. He countered the champion’s jab when he wasn’t outright beating him to the punch, landing concussive straight rights and evading return fire with artful defense.
Inoue finished the proceedings early in the eighth, following a precise jab to the body with a right hand upstairs that dropped Fulton. The American beat the count, but Inoue lunged in for the finish and the referee correctly waved it off.
Tuesday’s long-awaited blockbuster between two unbeaten champions in their primes was initially made for 7 May, but a two-and-a-half-month delay was forced after Inoue injured his hand during training camp.
“Everything I was thinking about was to fight him this year,” Inoue said. “However, unfortunately, I got injured, and I had to postpone this fight. I am sorry to my team and Fulton’s team, but thank you so much for accepting this fight once again. I am so happy right now.”
The Filipino southpaw Marlon Tapales, who captured the other two major belts at 122lbs in April with a split-decision win over Murodjon Akhmadaliev in San Antonio, took in Tuesday’s fight from ringside. A showdown with Inoue to unify all four title belts at super bantamweight could happen as soon as November.
