By: Sean Crose
There is no getting around the fact that Naoya Inoue is a fighter of sorts. When he delivers one of his powerful punches to his body, you not only see it, you not only hear it, you almost feel it. Fortunately, the key word here is “almost.” Simply witnessing Inoue in action is a study in excellence. It may not be rare or original, but it doesn’t have to be either. After all, Inoue has an undefeated record of 26-0. What’s more, as of Tuesday, Inoue is a two-time undisputed world champion. Because, the day after Christmas, Inoue thrilled those in attendance at the Ariake Arena in his native Japan by knocking out Marlon Tapales 37-3 in the 10th round.
Inoue therefore added the IBF and WBA junior featherweight titles to his WBC and WBO junior featherweight titles, becoming the undisputed junior featherweight king in the process. This after becoming the undisputed bantamweight world champion back in 2022. That’s two undisputed world championships in just over a year (and in “just over a year,” we’re talking about a matter of days). At this point, it’s hard to find a name that can cause Inoue any real problems right now, as long as the wrestler known as “The Monster” doesn’t move up in weight again.
With all that in mind, you have to give credit to Tapales, Inoue’s opponent on Tuesday. Sure, he stepped into the ring in possession of two world titles, but Tapales never really had a chance to win. And while it’s true that Naoya was in control for the vast majority of the fight, Tapales was never out of the fight, not until that right hand sent the brave Filipino to the canvas in the tenth. He sometimes landed well and was even willing to trade with the fierce Inoue. Bottom line: Tapeles was clearly NOT in Japan to pick up a paycheck on Tuesday. He was there to surprise the world. That he couldn’t do it is no reason for shame.
Once again, Inoue is something different. He is a raw combination of talent, strength, hard work and the ability to fight like he has ice in his veins. This was evidenced in the fourth round on Tuesday when Tapales was having some impressive moments. Instead of getting nervous, Inoue turned up the heat and sent Tapales to the mat. Tapales beat the count and continued to fight valiantly, but he simply didn’t have the strength or skill to keep up with Inoue, who had been landing hard since the opening bell. True warrior that he was, Tapales tried to beat the count again on the tenth attempt after being sent to the canvas for the second time. He just couldn’t do it.
*Image: Upper range
