By Joe Koizumi
Images by Naoki Fukuda
If profitable, “Monster” Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs), Japan, will fully unify 4 belts in simply two fights after transferring as much as the 122-pound class—inside a 12 months. WBC, WBO tremendous bantam champion Inoue will collide with WBA, IBF counterpart Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19 KOs) in Tokyo on December 26. It was introduced on Wednesday by Hideyuki Ohashi of Ohashi Promotions, who emphasised the brand new chapter of the Monster legend. It can happen on the Ariake Enviornment (constructed for the earlier Olympic Video games right here) the capability of which is 15,000.
Naoya took 4 years, seven months to finish bantamweight unification of the 4 belts since he at first dethroned Jamie McDonnel through first spherical demolition in Could 2018 till he collected the fourth belt from Paul Butler in December of the earlier 12 months. However Inoue, 30, rapidly seized the 2 titles from WBC, WBO ruler Stephen Fulton in his first engagement this July after he outgrew the 118-pound class. In solely 5 months the Monster could purchase the opposite two belts from the hard-punching Filipino southpaw Tapales, a 12 months his senior at 31, if profitable.
Inoue stated on the press convention, “Fulton was a really skillful boxer, whereas Tapales is a artful southpaw with good defensive capacity primarily based on his versatile physique motion. He can also counterpunch with glorious timing. He appears very hungry for fame and fortune.” Sean Gibbons, the consultant of MP Promotions on behalf of Tapales, stated, “We all know Inoue is an explosive puncher with filled with confidence. Tapales, nevertheless, needs to grow to be the primary Filipino boxer to unify 4 belts. Marlon is coaching within the US, however will come residence within the Philippines this November to make himself match and eventually ready.”
Once more if profitable, Inoue will comply with the footsteps of Terrence Crawford who impressively achieved his full unification of the 4 main belts in a few weight divisions (super-light and welter classes). Requested how lengthy he’ll keep within the 122-pound class, Naoya replied, “I’ll transfer as much as the featherweight division in 2025. If doable, I’d prefer to battle 3 times subsequent 12 months—in all probability in opposition to Luis Nery, John Riel Casimero and Murodjon Akhmadaliev.”
Tapales is unbeaten right here in Japan, having crushed Shohei Omori twice, gained a technical determination over Hayato Kimura, however misplaced to Ryosuke Iwasa through eleventh spherical TKO with the vacant IBF interim belt at stake in New York in 2019. When within the teenagers, Marlon got here to Japan to function a sparring accomplice for Kazuto Ioka, the present WBA 115-pound titleholder.
Boxing has handed the age of radio, tv, cable TV and pay-per-view to have the business greater and greater as time goes by. Now it’s the age of web, in one other phrase, streaming. You possibly can take pleasure in watching boxing bouts together with your hand cellphone or PC from everywhere in the world, which realistically produces gigantic cash. Naoya Inoue, now a world well-known phenomenon because of streaming or YouTube, is actually a particular product of the web age.
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