The Japanese boxing sensation and pound-for-pound star, Naoya Inoue, stunned the WBC/WBO junior featherweight world champion, Stephen Fulton, with an eighth-round knockout on Tuesday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Inoue, now a four-weight world champion, maintains an impressive record of 20-0 in world title fights.
“I have been eagerly looking forward to fighting him all year,” commented Inoue. “Regrettably, due to an injury, I had to postpone this match. I apologize to my team and Fulton’s crew, but I’m extremely grateful they accepted this fight once more. I couldn’t be happier at this moment.”
Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) kept Fulton at a distance in the opening round, assaulting the Philadelphia native with a fierce jab. Fulton (21-1, 8 KOs) soon found himself on the defensive as Inoue aggressively pressed forward. Fulton did manage to weather the storm momentarily in the seventh round, but Inoue came back in the eighth round to snuff out any chance of a turnaround.
Inoue floored Fulton with a right-left combo, and upon Fulton’s recovery, “The Monster” moved in for the kill. With Fulton pinned against the ropes, Inoue let loose a ferocious series of punches, culminating in a fight-ending left hook.
Meanwhile, WBO featherweight world champion Robeisy Ramirez successfully defended his crown, overwhelming Japanese contender Satoshi Shimizu and securing a fifth-round TKO in his first title defense.
The Cuban two-time Olympic gold medalist had little difficulty dealing with Shimizu (11-2, 10 KOs), a fellow Olympian who was riding a three-fight win streak into his first world title opportunity. Ramirez (13-1, 8 KOs) took control against his taller opponent, pounding Shimizu with uppercuts and right hooks.
In the fifth round, Ramirez sent Shimizu to the mat with a left uppercut. Shimizu got back on his feet with a bloodied nose, but couldn’t stave off the subsequent onslaught. The referee, Ramon Pena, stepped in to stop the fight following a couple of right hooks and a devastating left by Ramirez.
Ramirez stated, “This was a tremendous experience. It’s a blessing to showcase my talent in front of a packed stadium and in this part of the world. I am grateful and satisfied with the job done. Now, my focus shifts to a world title unification bout. Whether it’s Japan, Scotland, England, or Mexico, I am ready to fight anywhere.”
In other matches: Junior Featherweights: Yoshiki Takei (7-0 7 KOs) defeated Ronnie Baldonado (16-5-1, 9 KOs) via TKO at 1:08 in the eighth round. Light Flyweights: Kanamu Sakama (8-0 7 KOs) triumphed over Ryu Horikawa (3-2-2, 1 KO) via TKO at 2:40 in the eighth round.