WBC/WBO world champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue and WBA/IBF king Marlon Tapales will collide in an undisputed junior featherweight showdown on Tuesday, December 26 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Inoue, already a four-division world champion, seeks to become the second fighter to earn four-belt undisputed status in a second division.
Inoue-Tapales and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ in a special early-morning presentation.
“The sensational Naoya Inoue astounds with every performance. We are witnessing an all-time great fighter in the prime of his career,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He has a very difficult task at hand on December 26 against a tough, powerful Filipino champion in Marlon Tapales, but I am confident ‘The Monster’ will pass this test with flying colors.”
Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) is 20-0 with 18 knockouts in world title fights since defeating Adrian Hernandez in 2014 for the WBC light flyweight crown. He then moved up two divisions, knocked out then-WBO junior bantamweight world champion Omar Narvaez, and defended the title on seven occasions. At bantamweight, Inoue became the division’s first undisputed champion in the four-belt era, collecting each title as he defeated Emmanuel Rodriguez, Nonito Donaire twice and Paul Butler over a three-year span. After vanquishing WBC/WBO junior featherweight world champion Stephen Fulton via eighth-round TKO in July, Inoue plans to become the first undisputed four-belt champion at 122 pounds.
Tapales (37-3, 19 KOs) is a 40-fight veteran who debuted in July 2008. He spent the earlier part of his career fighting in his native Philippines, suffering two early setbacks before a breakout performance against then-unbeaten Japanese contender Shohei Omori, whom he defeated via second-round TKO in December 2015. Tapales then captured the WBO bantamweight world title with an 11th-round TKO against Panya Uthok. After beating Omori in their 2018 rematch, he moved up to junior featherweight. He is 4-0 with 3 KOs since losing to Ryosuke Iwasa in December 2019. Tapales returns following his biggest win to date, April’s upset split decision against Murodjon Akhmadaliev to capture the WBA and IBF titles.
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Notice how easy it is to keep making big fights for Inoue? Just shows that it can be done if a fighter and his team have confidence and keep their egos in check during the negotiations. Why can’t other fighters follow this example?
Is because of the money they make in the lower weight classes. Fighting against Inoue is the best pay check in a lifetime a boxer can make, with the exception of Nonito Donaire, who fought Inoue because he truly believed he could defeat him.
Inoue in Two !!
Inoue before 5 round
Credit to Tapales who like Fulton probably could’ve taken a different route and avoided Inoue. Tapales comes to fight and that will be his downfall. Early finish for Inoue around 3rd or 4th round. At 126 is where things very interesting.
Tapales is really good. I think MJ overlooked him a bit and it cost him, but I think when Inoue is done, we’re potentially looking at him as, arguably, THE best small fighter of all time.
Inoue in 8-10.
Monster!
Just another victim for the Inoue express.
If Inoue were in Canelo’s weight division, he’d be avoided by Canelo like the plague!! Canelo would then announce that he doesn’t fight Asian fighter’s!!!!
Tapales is certainly a very physically strong athlete. I suppose he is difficult to face because of that, but, to be honest, neither his style nor his skills have impressed me.
Thinks he looks too slow to manage Inoue, he also exposes himself unnecessarily far too often and his working rate is not very impressive.
I thought Akhmadaliev was too cautious in his fight against Tapales. But I think Inoue, even in slow fight, has the skills and speed to pile up the rounds to his advantage against Tapales.
I keep Inoue as a favorite like most people. I think he has the capacity to win the fight either on KO or points.
You are not impressed by his style but you are impressed by his dominion
Always there is a chance, a puncher chance. Tapales is not an easy fight for Inoue folks; this guy knows how to fight and hit hard, as hard as Inoue himself. Beyond 122, the road ahead for Inoue is going to be harder and harder, beginning with his age and size. He is 30 years old and only 5’5″, and a wise decision should be not to attempt to go higher in weight because the 126-pound division is fully loaded with talented and bigger guys.
He said it was his plan to stay at 122 for some time even if/when he did completely unify it and I agree with you, it’s a good idea. Jr. featherweight is a pretty good weight class and could definitely keep him occupied for the next few years or so through his prime. If he gets through that, then when he’s a little past his best, sure make a run at a title at 126, but no way should he go up there to stay, even if it is a bit down by the time he gets there.
I’ve heard talk of Inoue vs Tank, Tank vs Crawford, Crawford vs Canelo, Canelo vs Usyk, and Usyk vs Fury. I say it is time to cut out the middle men: Inoue vs Fury! It makes more sense than Ngannou.
Fury can fight him on his knees and then they’ll be similar height LoL!
shit fight. Inouah will literally destroy him.