By Joe Koizumi

Unbeaten Naoya “Monster” Inoue (16-0, 14 KOs), 118, impressively captured the WBA bantamweight belt as he easily caught up with much taller defending champ Jamie McDonnell (29-3-1-1ND, 13 KOs), 117.5, dropped him twice and halted him at 1:52 of the opening session on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.

The 116-second destruction showcased Naoya’s pugnaciousness and power-punching, with which he so quickly decked McDonnell with a trademark left uppercut to the side of the belly. Though Jamie very barely resumed fighting, Naoya swarmed over the fading champ with a flurry of punches and decked him again, when his chief second Dave Coldwell signaled a surrender and asked for a stoppage on the apron. Referee Luis Pabon, from Puerto Rico, then declared a halt to raise the arm of the newly crowned champion.

Inoue joyfully said in the ring, “I’ll participate in the World Boxing Super Series to face other world champions with pleasure.” The judges who didn’t score even a round were as follows: Oliver Bien (Germany), Ignacio Robles (Panama) and Pinit Prayadsab (Thailand).

Promoter: Ohashi Promotions.
WBA supervisor: Renzo Bagnariol (Nicaragua).
Television: Fuji TV (Japan), ESPN (US) and Sky Sports (UK).