TOKYO – Japan’s Naoya Inoue have become an undisputed world champion at a 2d weight on Tuesday after knocking out the Philippines’ Marlon Tapales within the tenth round to assert all 4 exceptional-bantamweight belts.
The unbeaten Inoue, nicknamed “Monster”, sent Tapales to the canvas with a huge proper hand in Tokyo to feature the WBA and IBF titles to his personal WBC and WBO belts.
Inoue, who took his file to 26-0 with 23 KOs, turns into most effective the second one man to unify all four international titles in different weight classes.
American Terence Crawford became the first after beating compatriot Errol Spence for all the welterweight belts in July.
“I think tremendous-bantamweight is the maximum appropriate weight magnificence for me in the mean time,” stated the 30-12 months-antique Inoue.
“Next 12 months and the yr after that, I want to show that i can come to be an even more potent fighter.”
Inoue finished his rampage via the bantamweight department in December remaining yr, becoming the first undisputed international champion at the weight in half a century before vacating his titles.
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He needed just fights to emerge as the exceptional-bantamweight division’s first-ever undisputed champion.
He beat American Stephen Fulton in July in his debut on the weight to claim the WBC and WBO belts.
however he needed to dig deep to conquer Tapales, who clawed his manner again into the combat after Inoue floored him within the fourth round.
“He became very hard with a robust mentality,” stated Inoue.
“I assume the manner i was able to knock out a strong fighter like that in the 10th round is proof of all i have been doing, so i am relieved.”
Inoue went on the attack at once in opposition to Tapales, who disillusioned Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev by break up decision in April to win the IBF and WBA titles.
Inoue landed a few early punches whilst the 31-year-vintage Tapales stayed in his shielding shell.
the japanese fighter dropped his opponent on the give up of the fourth spherical after a flurry of head photographs, simplest for Tapales to arise and beat the count.
Inoue went directly back to work at the start of the 5th, even though Tapales additionally landed a few large shots.
Tapales steadied the deliver however Inoue maintained the top hand and completed his opponent with a ferocious directly proper hand.
“He kept a poker face in the course of and failed to display that my punches had been doing him any harm, so i used to be quite amazed when he went down inside the tenth round,” stated Inoue.
Tapales saw his file drop to 37-four with 19 KOs.
Inoue has gained global titles in four one-of-a-kind weight divisions, having additionally triumphed on the light-flyweight and remarkable-flyweight ranges.
He knocked out England’s Paul Butler in December ultimate 12 months to turn out to be the primary undisputed bantamweight world champion due to the fact that Panama’s Enrique Pinder in 1972.
He also have become most effective the ninth undisputed international champion because the four-belt era commenced in 2004, and the first inside the bantamweight division.
After vacating his titles, his younger brother Takuma claimed the WBA bantamweight belt in April with a win over Venezuela’s Liborio Solis.
