Japanese star Naoya Inoue scored a 10th-round KO of Marlon Tapales on Tuesday in Tokyo to capture the undisputed junior featherweight championship. «The Monster» landed two right hands in succession that were partially blocked, but following a systematic breakdown of Tapales, the punches were enough to finish the fight.
After the second shot landed, Tapales dropped to one knee on a delayed reaction and was counted out at 1:02 of Round 10 to lift Inoue to his second undisputed championship in 12 months.
Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) also scored a knockdown in Round 4 after a left hand connected followed by a barrage of punches. «I think [junior featherweight] is my weight class for now so, in 2024, I would like to show myself at [junior featherweight] in even stronger form,» Inoue said in interpreted remarks. "… I am so happy that I got the knockout in such a decisive manner." Inoue, ESPN's No.
2 pound-for-pound boxer, won the undisputed 118-pound championship last December with an 11th-round KO of Paul Butler. Inoue, 30, then made his 122-pound debut in July against the top fighter in the division, Stephen Fulton.