Stephen Fulton was shocked when Naoya Inoue knocked him out to win the WBO and WBC super-bantamweight titles and become a world champion in four weight classes.

Inoue, 30, knocked out American Fulton in the eighth round in front of his home crowd at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. He then threw a lot of punches at Fulton before the judge stopped the fight.

Inoue gave up the undisputed bantamweight title to fight for the unified title. He is widely thought to be one of the best current boxers in the world.

He has now won all 24 of his professional fights, while Fulton has never lost in 22 fights.

Marlon Tapales, who was the WBA and IBF champion, went into the ring after the fight and shook hands with Inoue, who is trying to become an undisputed winner in two weight classes.

“Let’s do it this year,” the newly crowned winner, Inoue, told the Filipino.

Inoue really shows his class.
Inoue showed why many people put him at the top of their pound-for-pound list in one of the most anticipated fights of 2023. The fight was between two top fighters in their prime.

He was called “the Monster” for his fierce power and ability to knock out opponents, but in the early rounds, it was the way he moved around the ring that stood out.

He beat Fulton by walking him down with a great jab to the head and body and smart combos.

Fulton, who was a good counterpuncher, couldn’t do anything as the champion’s mouth bled in the third round. In a crazy fifth round, both men threw combinations at each other, but Inoue’s punches stood out for their accuracy, sharpness, and bite.

Inoue noticed the Philadelphia boxer after he hit him with a big right over his guard in the seventh round.

But in the next round, Inoue did something very smart and beautiful. He took a step back, threw a punch to the chest, and then a powerful blow to the head. Fulton was already in trouble when Inoue hit him with a big left hook that sent him to the floor.

As soon as Fulton beat the count, Inoue started to party too soon. With two minutes left in round eight, Inoue backed Fulton into a corner and kept attacking. The judge stepped in just as Fulton was about to fall to his knees, stopping the fight.

Since he turned pro in 2012, Inoue has knocked out 22 of his opponents. This is even more amazing considering that Inoue fights in lower weight classes, where knockouts are usually harder to get.