Naoya Inoue of Japan clinched an undisputed world championship in a second weight division on Tuesday, achieving victory by knocking out the Philippines’ Marlon Tapales in the 10th round to capture all four super-bantamweight belts.
The unbeaten Inoue, widely known as the “Monster,” delivered a thunderous right hand that sent Tapales to the canvas in Tokyo, securing the WBA and IBF titles to complement his existing WBC and WBO belts.
With his record now standing at 26-0 with 23 KOs, Inoue becomes only the second individual to unify all four world titles in two different weight categories. Terence Crawford from the United States achieved this feat earlier by defeating Errol Spence for all welterweight belts in July.
Expressing his satisfaction with the win, the 30-year-old Inoue remarked, “I believe that the super-bantamweight division suits me the most presently. In the upcoming years, I aim to demonstrate that I can evolve into an even stronger fighter.”
Inoue had previously dominated the bantamweight division in December last year, becoming its first undisputed world champion in 50 years before relinquishing his titles. His conquest of the super-bantamweight division’s undisputed championship took just two fights.
His latest victory wasn’t without its challenges, as Tapales showed resilience after being knocked down by Inoue in the fourth round.
Describing his opponent, Inoue noted, “He displayed remarkable toughness and a strong mindset. I believe that knocking out a resilient fighter like him in the tenth round is evidence of my dedication, which gives me relief.”
Inoue’s relentless assault began from the outset against Tapales, who had previously upset Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev to claim the IBF and WBA titles.
Despite Tapales’ defensive stance, Inoue’s aggression prevailed. He dropped Tapales at the conclusion of the fourth round, yet the Filipino boxer managed to rise and continue.
Inoue maintained control, eventually concluding the bout with a powerful straight right hand in the tenth round, marking the end of the intense battle.
Reflecting on the fight, Inoue remarked, “Tapales remained composed throughout, not revealing the impact of my punches, so his fall in the tenth round surprised me.”
Tapales’ record now stands at 37-4 with 19 KOs.
Inoue’s achievement marks his world title wins across four different weight divisions, previously triumphing at the light-flyweight and super-flyweight levels.
His victory in December last year against England’s Paul Butler secured him the first undisputed bantamweight world championship since Panama’s Enrique Pinder in 1972, cementing his place in boxing history.
After relinquishing his bantamweight titles, Inoue’s younger brother Takuma claimed the WBA bantamweight belt in April with a victory over Venezuela’s Liborio Solis.