Japan’s WBC and WBO tremendous bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue celebrates his victory over Philippines’ WBA and IBF tremendous bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales after their four-belt world tremendous bantamweight title unification match at Tokyo’s Ariake Area on December 26, 2023. (Photograph by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
Japan’s Naoya Inoue turned an undisputed world champion at a second weight on Tuesday after knocking out the Philippines’ Marlon Tapales within the tenth spherical to say all 4 tremendous bantamweight belts.
The unbeaten Inoue, nicknamed “Monster”, despatched Tapales to the canvas with an enormous proper hand in Tokyo so as to add the WBA and IBF titles to his personal WBC and WBO belts.
Inoue, who took his report to 26-0 with 23 KOs, turns into solely the second man to unify all 4 world titles in two totally different weight lessons.
🏆🏆🏆🏆
– 4 Division World Champion
– 2x Undisputed#InoueTapales pic.twitter.com/bletHcwIGm— High Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 26, 2023
American Terence Crawford turned the primary after beating compatriot Errol Spence for all of the welterweight belts in July.
“I believe tremendous bantamweight is probably the most appropriate weight class for me in the intervening time,” mentioned the 30-year-old Inoue.
“Subsequent yr and the yr after that, I need to show that I can change into a fair stronger fighter.”
Inoue accomplished his rampage by means of the bantamweight division in December final yr, changing into the primary undisputed world champion on the weight in half a century earlier than vacating his titles.
Japan’s WBC and WBO tremendous bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (L) fights with Philippines’ WBA and IBF tremendous bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales (R) throughout their four-belt world tremendous bantamweight title unification match at Tokyo’s Ariake Area on December 26, 2023. (Photograph by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
He wanted simply two fights to change into the super-bantamweight division’s first-ever undisputed champion.
He beat American Stephen Fulton in July in his debut on the weight to say the WBC and WBO belts.
However he needed to dig deep to beat Tapales, who clawed his method again into the combat after Inoue floored him within the fourth spherical.
“He was very robust with a robust mentality,” mentioned Inoue.
“I believe the best way I used to be in a position to knock out a robust fighter like that within the tenth spherical is proof of all I’ve been doing, so I’m relieved.”
Inoue went on the assault immediately towards Tapales, who upset Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev by cut up resolution in April to win the IBF and WBA titles.
Inoue landed some early punches whereas the 31-year-old Tapales stayed in his defensive shell.
The Japanese fighter dropped his opponent on the finish of the fourth spherical after a flurry of head photographs, just for Tapales to stand up and beat the rely.
Inoue went straight again to work at first of the fifth, though Tapales additionally landed some huge photographs.
Tapales steadied the ship however Inoue maintained the higher hand and completed his opponent with a ferocious straight proper hand.
“He stored a poker face all through and didn’t present that my punches have been doing him any harm, so I used to be fairly shocked when he went down within the tenth spherical,” mentioned Inoue.
Tapales noticed his report drop to 37-4 with 19 KOs.
Inoue has gained world titles in 4 totally different weight divisions, having additionally triumphed on the light-flyweight and tremendous flyweight ranges.
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He knocked out England’s Paul Butler in December final yr to change into the primary undisputed bantamweight world champion since Panama’s Enrique Pinder in 1972.
He additionally turned solely the ninth undisputed world champion because the four-belt period started in 2004, and the primary within the bantamweight division.
After vacating his titles, his youthful brother Takuma claimed the WBA bantamweight belt in April with a win over Venezuela’s Liborio Solis.
