A great fighter was never greater.
Naoya Inoue didn’t simply beat a bigger, capable opponent in Stephen Fulton Jr. on Tuesday night in Tokyo. He embarrassed the now-former 122-pound titleholder before finally putting him out of his misery, delivering an unforgettable eighth-round knockout to cap a sublime performance.
In the process, Inoue became a four-division champion. Perhaps more important, he bolstered the argument that he’s the best fighter on the planet.
“I returned all my [118-pound] belts to become a super bantamweight champion,” Inoue said through a translator as he stood in the ring afterward. “All I was thinking about was a fight against [Fulton] this year. … I’m so happy right now.”
Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) stopped Paul Butler to become undisputed 118-pound champion in December but quickly gave up his titles to pursue even greater accomplishments.
That’s how he landed on Fulton, the best 122-pounder in the world. And the 29-year-old American, seeking to establish his own credentials as a pound-for-pounder, agreed to travel halfway around the world to face Inoue in his backyard.
In the end, however, Fulton, as good as he is, simply didn’t have the tools to cope with the breathtaking talents of the man aptly called “The Monster.”
Inoue took control of the fight immediately with his blur of a jab and power punches that made Fulton uneasy about engaging with him, an imbalanced dynamic that had Fulton on the run for the first few rounds.
Fulton began to plant his feet in Round 3 in attempt to make the fight more competitive but he remained reluctant to open up for fear of getting caught cleanly with one of Inoue’s concussive power shots.
The Philadelphia fighter had some good moments in Rounds 5 and 7, accurate power punches that gave him hope of climbing back into the fight. However, Inoue, the much busier fighter, arguably won each of the first seven rounds as a result of his fierce, relentless attack.
Then disaster struck for Fulton. Inoue hurt him with a straight right to the chin and followed with a short left that put him flat on his back as the crowd at Ariake Arena roared.
Fulton was able to get to his feet but quickly found himself doing his best impersonation of a human punching bag with his back against the ropes. Referee Hector Afu jumped between the fighters as a helpless Fulton was sinking to the canvas, thus ending the carnage and giving the winner Fulton’s WBC and WBO belts.
Inoue was never better.
There were concerns that a fighter who started his career as a 108-pounder was pushing his limits by fighting at 122, particularly against the most formidable fighter in the division. Turned out size wasn’t a factor at all.
There was talk in some quarters that Fulton was a better technician than Inoue. That seems laughable now, as Inoue schooled his overmatched opponent before lowering the boom.
Indeed, what many believed would be a competitive fight turned out to be a showcase for a boxing master who is building legendary status in his home country and beyond.
Some might argue that Terence Crawford, Boxing Junkie’s No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound, is on par with No. 2 Inoue but it will be difficult for Crawford to top his counterpart’s performance when he faces Errol Spence Jr. on Saturday in Las Vegas.
And, remember, Inoue, only 30, is far from finished.
His goal now? Become the undisputed champion. That would mean a fight with IBF and WBA champ Marlon Tapales, who seemed to confirm that the fight is in the works when he stepped into the ring after Inoue’s victory.
The two reportedly could meet as soon as November to unify all four major titles.
“I want to fight Naoya Inoue because I want to prove that I’m a champion,” Tapales said.
Of course, there’s a difference between holding one or two of the many alphabet titles and establishing yourself as a truly special fighter, as Inoue underscored once again against Fulton.
One might already feel sorry for Tapales.
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