Naoya Inoue sensationally stopped Stephen Fulton to win the WBO and WBC super-bantamweight titles and become and a four-division world champion.
In front of his home crowd at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, Inoue, 30, dropped American Fulton in the eighth round and followed it with a flurry of punches before the referee halted the contest.
Inoue vacated the undisputed bantamweight crown to challenge for the unified title and is widely considered one of the best active fighters in world boxing.
He has now won all 24 professional fights, while Fulton loses for the first time in 22 bouts.
After the fight, WBA and IBF champion Marlon Tapales entered the ring and shook hands with Inoue, who is aiming to become a two-weight undisputed champion.
“Let’s do this this year,” newly crowned champion Inoue told the Filipino.
Superb Inoue shows his class
In one of the most anticipated fights of 2023, between two elite boxers in their prime, Inoue demonstrated why many have him top of their pound-for-pound list.
Nicknamed the ‘Monster’ for his ferocious power and ability to knock out opponents, it was his movement around the ring which impressed in the early rounds.
He walked Fulton down, working behind a terrific jab to head and body and landing smart combinations.
Fulton – a slick counter puncher – had no answer, as blood poured from the champion’s mouth in the third. Both men traded combinations in a frantic fifth, although it was the accuracy, sharpness and bite of Inoue’s punches which stood out.
The Philadelphia fighter caught Inoue’s attention with a big right over the home fighter’s guard in the seventh.
But in the following round came a moment of genius and beauty from Inoue. He took a step back, threw a jab to the stomach and followed it with an explosive right to the head. With Fulton staggered, Inoue launched a huge left hook to send Fulton to the canvas.
Inoue began to prematurely celebrate as Fulton managed to beat the count. With two minutes still left in round eight, Inoue trapped Fulton in the corner and continued the onslaught, with referee stepping in seconds before Fulton fell to his knees.
Inoue has now stopped 22 opponents since turning professional in 2012, a ratio made all-the-more impressive by Inoue competing in lower weight classes where knockouts are generally harder to achieve.
