‘Simply special’: Japanese boxing star Naoya Inoue continues undefeated streak
By Bryan Ke
Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue proved on Tuesday night that he is a force to be reckoned with after defeating American boxer Stephen Fulton.
Key details: The stunning win occurred at Tokyo’s Ariaka Arena when Inoue, 30, secured his 25th consecutive win and 22nd knockout by defeating Fulton, 29, in the eighth round via a technical knockout.
Inoue won the WBC and WBO junior featherweight titles in the process, making him a four-division world champion.
The fight: Although Fulton managed to land a few hits on Inoue in some rounds, the Japanese star dominated the then-undefeated WBO/WBC title holder for the first seven rounds. The fight eventually ended early in the eighth round when Inoue landed a combination on Fulton, resulting in him falling to the mat.
Even though Fulton managed to beat the count and got back up, Inoue unleashed another barrage of punches as the Philadelphia native was cornered, forcing referee Hector Afu to step in and halt the fight, declaring the Japanese athlete the winner.
Impressive running record: Including his recent match, Inoue has been on a knockout streak since his bout against Australian boxer Jason Moloney on Oct. 31, 2020. Fulton is the sixth boxer who Inoue has defeated either by knockout or technical knockout since then.
Inoue has also stopped 14 of his last 15 opponents, either by knockout, technical knockout or corner retirement, since Sept. 4, 2016, with Filipino American boxer Nonito Donaire being defeated by unanimous decision on Nov. 7, 2019.
What other pros are saying: Several figures in the boxing world reacted to Inoue’s fierce win against Fulton on Tuesday, including Filipino boxing legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
“Inoue has great speed and lots of power behind his punches. He’s a special fighter!” Pacquiao tweeted.
Boxing trainer and commentator Teddy Atlas also praised Inoue in a tweet on Tuesday, writing that the Japanese star would fit right in with the best in the boxing world in any era.
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