Key occasions
That’s all for now. Thanks for following together with us and make sure you examine again later for a full report.
The Filipino southpaw Marlon Tapales, who holds the opposite two belts at 122lbs, is within the ring in the meanwhile. A combat with Inoue to unify all 4 title belts at tremendous bantamweight may occur as quickly as November. A mouth-watering combat and one you need to credit score Tapales for transferring ahead with after tonight’s devastating exhibition.
Extraordinary scenes. Lower than one yr after Inoue made historical past by stopping Britain’s Paul Butler to unify all 4 world titles at bantamweight, the Japanese star has turn out to be a champion in a fourth completely different weight class. He’s improved to 20-0 with 18 knockouts in world championship fights. He’s one of the best fighter on the planet no matter weight, no matter what occurs on Saturday between Errol Spence and Terence Crawford.
Scary efficiency by The Monster, who completely dominated the beforehand undefeated Fulton, who was outlanded 114-47 by Inoue, who landed 39% of his energy punches. Inoue closed the present by touchdown 11 of 19 energy punches in spherical 8. #InoueFulton pic.twitter.com/ywiE2ZAe1W
— CompuBox (@CompuBox) July 25, 2023
Fulton down in spherical eight! Inoue wins by eighth-round KO!
Spherical 8
The champion lastly goes down beneath attractive jab to the physique adopted by a straight proper hand upstairs early within the eighth. Fulton beats the depend, however Inoue goes in for the end and the referee appropriately waves it off. It’s official: Inoue is a four-division world champion. A particular fighter.
Spherical 7
Naoya Inoue is in complete management after seven rounds, successful the combat together with his commanding jab. Even when Fulton enjoys a uncommon pocket of success, Inoue responds instantly and with prejudice.
Guardian’s unofficial rating: Fulton 9-10 Inoue (Fulton 63-70 Inoue)
Spherical 6
Extra dominance from Inoue. It’s all flowing from the jab, which has been locked in from the primary minute of the primary spherical. He’s dedicated to the physique assault and beginning to break down Fulton, who’s protecting up and in retreat. Inoue is countering the jab, beating Fulton to the punch, touchdown massive proper fingers and evading return hearth with masterful protection. It’s an absolute clinic from the world’s greatest pound-for-pound fighter right now.
Guardian’s unofficial rating: Fulton 9-10 Inoue (Fulton 54-60 Inoue)
Spherical 5
What might need been Fulton’s greatest spherical of the combat was nonetheless a straightforward body to attain for Inoue, who is absolutely buzzing and placing on a masterclass on the Ariake Area. The Japanese star is making it look straightforward towards one of many slickest boxers within the recreation.
Guardian’s unofficial rating: Fulton 9-10 Inoue (Fulton 45-50 Inoue)
Spherical 4
Inoue continues to hammer Fulton with the jab, splitting the champion’s guard and making him look tentative. It’s wanting increasingly like a mismatch. Fulton lands his greatest mixture of the combat however Inoue walks proper by it. Inoue’s deft footwork is leaving Fulton continuously out of place, squarely in his opponent’s vary.
Guardian’s unofficial rating: Fulton 9-10 Inoue (Fulton 36-40 Inoue)
Spherical 3
Fulton comes ahead from the opening bell in a concerted effort to change the geography of the combat however the end result isn’t any completely different. One other simple spherical for Inoue, whose jab to the physique has been the weapon of alternative. A trickle of blood is flowing from the nostril of Fulton, who’s struggling to maintain up with the challenger’s hand velocity and twitchy in-and-out motion. Only a marvel of energy and precision.
Guardian’s unofficial rating: Fulton 9-10 Inoue (Fulton 27-30 Inoue)
Spherical 2
Inoue cracks Fulton with a four-punch mixture. Fulton remaining affected person and composed however Inoue is on the assault, successful the exchanges together with his blinding hand velocity. Fulton hasn’t been in a position to get off towards the short, sharper man in entrance of him. Fulton in full retreat now, getting outboxed badly. A straightforward spherical for the Monster. Inoue has outlanded Fulton by a 26-6 margin over two rounds based on Compubox’s punch statistics.
Guardian’s unofficial rating: Fulton 9-10 Inoue (Fulton 18-20 Inoue)
Spherical 1
There’s the bell. Fulton is preventing from the skin, taking measure of the duty earlier than him and seeking to discover vary together with his three-and-a-half-inch attain benefit. Inoue is throwing punches, seeking to shut that distance. The bull-v-matador matchup that we’ve anticipated is beginning to take form, however the bull has taken the early edge. Inoue is scoring with a fast, correct jab. Neither fighter did an entire lot of harm in a feeling-out opening spherical, however Inoue outboxed the Philadelphian with relative ease and established the jab.
Guardian’s unofficial rating: Fulton 9-10 Inoue (Fulton 9-10 Inoue)
Ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr is making the fighter introductions. Fulton is defending his WBC and WBO tremendous bantamweight titles, having gained all three of his earlier title defenses. Inoue, the previous undisputed bantamweight champion, has additionally gained titles at gentle flyweight and bantamweight, having amassed a formidable 19-0 report in world title fights (with 17 knockouts).
Good day and welcome to right now’s junior featherweight megafight between Stephen Fulton and Naoya Inoue. We’re kicking off a blockbuster week of boxing from Tokyo’s Ariake Area, the place Japan’s pound-for-pound nice is transferring up in an try to win a world title in a fourth completely different weight class.
It’s as important a combat as we’ve seen between small males in a while and it’s all getting beneath approach shortly because the fighters have made their solution to the ring and the nationwide anthems are being performed. Not for much longer now.
Bryan might be right here shortly.
