Inoue vs. Tapales

Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales: Inoue by KO in round 10.

Seiya Tsutsumi vs. Kazuki Anaguchi: Tsutsumi by unanimous decision.

Yoshiki Takei vs. Mario Diaz Maldonado: Takei by KO in round 2.

Andy Hiraoka vs. Sebastian Diaz Maldonado: Hiraoka by TKO in round 5.

Kanamu Sakama vs. John Paul Gabunilas: Sakama by TKO in round 5.

Suguru Ishikawa vs. Fuga Uematsu: Uematsu by TKO in round 4.

Rikiya Sato vs. Keisuke Endo: Sato by unanimous decision.

Naoya Inoue, the four-division champion, is set to step back into the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, a location synonymous with his historic undisputed championship victory. On December 26, he will face Marlon Tapales from the Philippines in a highly anticipated junior featherweight unification bout. This championship, covering the lineal, WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles, will be aired live on ESPN+. Should Inoue claim victory, he would mark himself as only the sport's second male boxer to secure undisputed status in two separate weight divisions.

Watch the official trailer: Watch

Bob Arum, a renowned promoter, heaps praise on Inoue, stating, “The sensational Naoya Inoue astounds with every performance.” Fondly nicknamed “The Monster”, Inoue unified the bantamweight division with a remarkable knockout of England’s Paul Butler at the very same arena. Tapales, not to be underestimated, boasts a title from a split decision victory over Murodjon Akhmadaliev and will be risking his WBA and IBF titles in the upcoming bout.

Inoue’s recent bouts have painted a trail of historic firsts for Japan. He was the first from the nation, and in fact, the entirety of Asia, to achieve undisputed champion status in the three- or four-belt era. Furthermore, he made history by becoming Japan’s first unified champion in multiple weight categories. The upcoming fight with Tapales was anticipated, as Tapales himself signaled this challenge after his win over Akhmadaliev.

Perfect body shot from Naoya Inoue: Watch

The boxing world is no stranger to champions unifying titles across weights. Terence “Bud” Crawford secured this achievement in the welterweight division, six years after doing so in the junior welterweight. Claressa Shields also accomplished this feat, first in the junior middleweight and later in the middleweight divisions. However, a victory for Tapales would earn him the distinction of being the first Filipino undisputed champion in the three- or four-belt era.

With the opportunity to become a two-division undisputed champion within a year, Inoue’s ambitions don’t stop there. His “Super Champion” title with the WBO might lead him to challenge for the featherweight title in 2024. Still, for now, all eyes are on the imminent showdown with Tapales at junior featherweight.

Main card:

▪️Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales, 12 rounds, for WBC/WBO/WBA/IBF junior featherweight unification ▪️Seiya Tsutsumi vs. Kazuki Anaguchi, 10 rounds, bantamweight ▪️Yoshiki Takei vs. Mario Diaz Maldonado, 8 rounds, super bantamweight ▪️Andy Hiraoka vs. Sebastian Diaz Maldonado, 8 rounds, lightweight

Prelims:

▪️Kanamu Sakama vs. John Paul Gabunilas, 8 rounds, flyweight ▪️Suguru Ishikawa vs. Fuga Uematsu, 4 rounds, featherweight ▪️Rikiya Sato vs. Keisuke Endo, 4 rounds, super featherweight