Results
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler fight
Naoya Inoue became the first-ever four-band undisputed bantamweight champion when “The Monster” added Paul Butler’s WBO belt to his WBC, WBA “super” and IBF belts with a patient 11th-round victory at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Inoue dropped Butler with a series of punches in the 11th round, and the Briton failed to beat the referee’s count, who in turn waved and waved.
Inoue (24-0, 21 KO) entered this fight as one of the greatest boxers in the sport, he needed no introduction, and after stints as world champion in the featherlight flyweight and super flyweight divisions, he won three of the four belts available in the bantamweight division, last, a ruthless second-round victory in a rematch with Nonito Donaire in June, where he claimed the WBC crown.
The only belt missing was Butler’s WBO belt, and the Ellesmere Port fighter saw two title fights against John Riel Casimero, with the Filipino ultimately being stripped of the belt, making the 34-year-old a full world champion.
Butler (34-3, 15 KO) showed good defense in the first round, but had to eat several neat combinations along the way and there was little on offense.
In the second round, the home favorite landed more fierce combinations, particularly to the body, and round three began with Butler trapping him in the corner and sending out powerful shots to the head before he finally started landing punches of his own.
It was one-way traffic and rounds four and five saw more dominance from the 29-year-old before he switched to southpaw in round six with full control.
The “Compact-Face Assassin” seemed elated to survive, barely landing a punch, and Inoue was forced to goad his opponent into attacking.
𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐥 current undisputed male champions 👑👑👑👑
👊 Some talent, gentlemen 👏#Box #InoueButler pic.twitter.com/S1E9ZfkN57
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 13, 2022
The attack versus defense round repeated itself round after round, and this pattern continued into the championship rounds until, in the penultimate frame, Inoue finally broke, stepping on the gas to deliver a barrage of punches to the head that forced Butler to the canvas, where he was not able to beat the judge’s count.
He also became “The Monster”. only the fourth current undisputed male champion alongside Canelo Alvarez, Devin Haney and Jermell Charlo, and after the fight he confirmed that he would want to enhance weight.
McGrail shines
2020 Great Britain Olympian Peter McGrail (6-0, 5 KO) impressed the Japanese crowd by defeating Hironori Miyake (9-13-2, 1 KO) in the second of a scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.
Too straightforward! @peter_mcgrail scores RD2 TKO! #InoueButler pic.twitter.com/5zxWvdIrTy
— Probellum (@probellum) December 13, 2022
Inoue stops Bornea
Takuma Inoue (17-1, 4 KO) was on his way to winning his second world title when the featherweight fighter forced a stoppage in the eighth round of his fight against Jake Bornea (14-4-1, 7 KO).
Naoya’s younger brother dominated and eliminated Bornea to the point that he was unable to continue fighting.
Hiraoka stopped Jung
Andy Hiraoka successfully defended his WBO Asia-Pacific super lightweight title for the fourth time, knocking out Min Ho Jung (13-4-2, 3 KO) in the eighth round.
After several invigorating actions in the main fight, Hiraoka (22-0, 17 KO) scored a knockdown with a left upper cut in the eighth round, and after the resumption, he quickly finished off Jung (13-4-2, 3 KO). Raking connected and dropped the South Korean with a left hand for a second time and the referee waived the count.
Undercard remaining
Yoshiki Takei (6-0, 6 KO) defended his OPBF super bantamweight title, defeating Bruno Tarimo (26-4-2, 5 KO) in eleven rounds.
Takei was cut down almost from the start, but he responded with a knockout combination in the first round.
Tarimo was mighty and pushing forward, but he injured his left hand in the third period.
The doctor’s arrest stops the action in the 11th ❌#InoueButler X @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/jlhx3KRIgW
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 13, 2022
Takei tired and Tarimo came back into the game, but the host was comfortable enough to prevail when the nasty cut above the Tanzanian’s eye worsened and the doctor ordered the fight to be stopped.
Satoshi Shimizu (11-1, 10 KO) also won early, forcing Landy Cris Leon (14-23-5, 6 KO) to withdraw after the second round of their eight-man super featherweight fight.
Daniel Dubois has revealed that his goal is an undisputed title clash with the winner of this weekend’s rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Dubois will defend his IBF heavyweight title against former world champion Joseph Parker on February 22 and arrived in Riyadh earlier this week to watch Saturday’s clash between Usyk and Fury.
After being written off by many recently, “Dynamite” has been in the form of his life lately, picking up three stoppage wins off the back of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua.
It was said that the heavy-handed 27-year-old would immediately enter into a rematch with Joshua, but “AJ” and his team did not agree with this idea.
And keep talking talkSPORT today, Dubois stated that he has his eye on unifying the four belts with the winner of Saturday’s rematch if he manages to overtake Parker.
“I’m here in Saudi Arabia and I want a winner on Saturday night.
I want to fight for an undisputed result, that’s the game now and that’s the goal.
“100% [I would beat them]. This is my time now. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I’m a recent man.
“I am ready to seek and destroy!” 🔥
Daniel Dubois can’t wait to meet Joseph Parker on February 22 👀#DuboisParker pic.twitter.com/q1WP0YkrmQ
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 3, 2024
“I am ready to fight for the undisputed, win it and make history.
“I evolved and learned from my mistakes.
“The team did well and I’m firing on all cylinders now. Let’s go!”
Like Dubois, Parker is also in the best form of his career and comes into the match on the back of upset wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
The situation in the heavyweight division in 2025 depends on the outcome of the epic rematch on Saturday evening, in which three world titles will be up for grabs.
Usyk hurt and released Fury en route to a split decision victory when they first faced off in May, and many believe the ‘Gypsy King’ has everything to do if he wants to reverse the result.
“I am ready to seek and destroy!” 🔥
Daniel Dubois can’t wait to meet Joseph Parker on February 22 👀#DuboisParker pic.twitter.com/q1WP0YkrmQ
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) December 3, 2024
A third fight between the pair is contractually agreed if the Morecambe man wins, provided neither he nor ‘The Cat’ withdraws after the second battle at the Kingdom Arena.
Paulie Malignanggi believes that Tyson Fury is no longer the same fighter he once was, and he will not beat Oleksandr Usyk in Saturday’s rematch.
Fury decides to take revenge for his own loss of split decision to Usyk in May, when he meets the Ukrainian for the second time in Riyad.
Fury was given eight points after tripping over the ropes following a powerful attack from his rival, and Malignaggi feels his three fights with Deontay Wilder, in which he fell four times, are starting to catch up with him.
“I don’t know if Wilder and Fury are the same after these three fights,” the 41-year-old said talkSPORT Boxing.
“Wilder certainly didn’t look the same as Fury to me, his impact resistance was always one of the best.
“He got up from Deontay Wilder’s punches that would have made buildings collapse, and now Oleksandr Usyk, a former cruiserweight, turned him around and dropped him in the first fight.
“What are the lasting effects of the Wilder trilogy?
“Who is one of the most devastating boxers in history.”
The “Gypsy King” suffered the first defeat in his 36-fight professional career, but announced that he would end the 37-year-old’s career on Saturday.
Usyk remains undefeated in his 22-fight professional career, and in May he won the undisputed heavyweight title, the first man in the four-belt era to do so.
Former world champion Malignaggi believes that Usyk, who vacated the IBF belt after the first fight, will repeat the feat.
“I will choose Usyk,” he added.
“I don’t think Fury has it anymore.
“It’s no disrespect to Fury.
“I’ve always loved Fury, I’m just not sure if he can bring him back.”
Frank Warren today revealed that a third fight between the two teams is in the contract – provided Fury emerges victorious and neither retires – while the long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua could be an alternative option for the Manchester fighter.
Tyson Fury described both Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois as “very constrained” compared to him ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury, who saw Dubois defeat Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in September, is preparing for a second fight with Usyk on December 21 in Riyad, seven months after his first professional defeat against split decision for the undisputed title of heavyweight champion.
The ‘Gypsy King’ insists he will box in a similar fashion when he faces the Ukrainian for the unified heavyweight titles, as well as facing his rival in midfield, something he believes both Joshua and Dubois were unable to do , when they stood against him.
– What can you expect from me? Fury said during his face-to-face meeting with Usyk TNT Sports.
“Basically the same thing I did before.
“Good boxing.
“It’s not normal for someone my height and weight to be able to box and move and slide, so why should I take that away from my game.
“People tell me: go up to Usyk, take him down and punch him, but if it was so effortless why didn’t Joshua do it, who is a massive, sturdy man?
“Why didn’t Dubois do it?
“These men are constrained compared to me, very constrained.”
The 37-year-old Usyk defeated “AJ” twice on points and stopped Dubois, and Fury became the fifth Briton to fall victim to him.
The Manchester athlete believes it cost him an impressive performance in his first outing and has vowed to remain focused when facing Usyk on Saturday in three weeks’ time.
“I belong to a boxer,” the 36-year-old added.
“Slip, slide, clip, hook.
“I’m going to do it, but with more focus.
“A little more focused on my job and I think that’s my path to victory.”
Merry Christmas from World Boxing News
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