Sports

Naoya Inoue Dethrones Stephen Fulton to Become Super Bantamweight Champ

Landing a flurry of fast, powerful punches in the eighth round, Naoya Inoue completed his quest to become a four-division world champion, earning a TKO.

Published

9 months ago

July 26, 2023

Ed Odeven

Naoya Inoue lands a body shot against Stephen Fulton in the second round of their WBC/WBO super bantamweight title fight on July 25 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. (ⒸSANKEI)

Read the full story on SportsLook - Naoya Inoue Dethrones Stephen Fulton to Become Super Bantamweight Champ

With Naoya Inoue doing what he does best, the eighth round of his first fight as super bantamweight was a snapshot of his sensational career.

Inoue overwhelmed Stephen Fulton, the WBC and WBO champion, with a flurry of fast, powerful punches in the decisive round of their super bantamweight title fight on Tuesday night, July 25.

After knocking Fulton down 40 seconds into the round, the American was clearly in trouble. "Monster" stayed aggressive and attacked his American opponent, landing eight punches in rapid succession before referee Hector Afu of Panama stopped the fight 1:14 into the round.

With the technical-knockout victory, Inoue wrested the WBC and WBO championship belts from Fulton at Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

"I'm so happy right now," Inoue declared in a ringside interview.

*Naoya Inoue displays his new world title belts after the fight. (ⒸSANKEI)*

Naoya Inoue Reflects on the Fight

He also told the captivated crowd about his singular focus in 2023 after relinquishing his four bantamweight title belts in January.

"Everything I was thinking about this year was to fight him (Fulton) and become a four-division champion," Inoue commented. "Unfortunately, I hurt myself in training camp and had to wait."

As a result of his hand injury in March, the Fulton-Inoue bout was moved from May 7 to July 25.

Analyzing his performance against Fulton, Inoue said, "I believe I was able to show my increased speed and power in this bout."

Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and Twitter ＠ed_odeven.