Naoya Inoue secures undisputed super-bantamweight title

The Tokyo victory

Naoya Inoue stopped Junto Nakatani in the eighth round at Ariake Arena this past weekend. This victory secures the undisputed super-bantamweight championship for the Japanese fighter. Inoue, aged 30, holds a 32-0 record with 27 stoppage wins. Nakatani, five years younger than Inoue, arrived undefeated with 24 knockouts. The eighth round saw Inoue land a vicious right to the face of his challenger. This blow forced Nakatani down, and Inoue followed up with a looping left hook to finish the fight. This victory secures Inoue his fourth division belt after his previous reigns at 108, 115, and 118 pounds. For 11 years, Nakatoni has worked as a professional and earned his first world title in his 21st fight. He won titles in the flyweight, super-flyweight, and bantamweight classes. Nakatani made light work of Sebastian Reyes on his super-bantamweight debut in December. Inoue recently came off two straight points decision victories against David Picasso and Murodjon Akhmadaliev. His last stoppage occurred just over a year ago against Ramon Cardenas. He is now the reigning undisputed super-bantamweight champion.

Shifting dynamics for Fulton

This result alters the pursuit of Stephen Fulton. Fulton carries a 21-1 record and previously expected a showdown with Inoue after a May 7 fight date collapsed because of an injury Inoue sustained in training. The training injury remains less than severe. Fulton, who has held super bantamweight gold since 2021, saw his plans shift. You already know the power Inoue carries, so this win changes everything. Since Inoue now holds the WBC and WBO 122-pound belts, the mandatory challenger status for others shifts significantly. Fulton’s team previously expressed frustration regarding hand wraps during discussions for their matchup. Trainer Wahid Rahim specifically threatened to walk away if the commission did not address how Inoue wraps his hands. He claimed excessive tape creates a cast that acts as a safety hazard for opponents. I find the sudden shift in power towards Inoue to be the most decisive part of this month. This follows his 2023 announcement to vacate his bantamweight titles. The WBO elevated Inoue to super champion status, allowing him to skip the line to become a mandatory challenger in the division.

The path to four belts

Marlon Tapales holds the WBA and IBF titles. The decision to move up in weight after clearing out the bantamweight division puts Inoue on a direct collision course with Marlon Tapales, who currently holds the WBA and IBF titles at super-bantamweight. This unification tournament enforcement forces a meeting between the current undisputed champion and the remaining belt holders. The IBF requires champions to meet mandatory challengers or lose their belts. Tapales will face Inoue soon to unify four belts. This becomes the next logical step for a fighter seeking to become an undisputed champion in two different weight classes. Inoue previously became the first undisputed bantamweight champion in half a century after beating Paul Butler in the 11th round. He aims to be the first man to achieve undisputed status in two weight classes. The fight will attempt to merge the titles held by Tapales with the WBC and WBO belts Inoue captured. The four-belt era began in 2004, and Inoue is one of the most successful fighters from this period. Will the IBF unification happen before Inoue faces Bam Rodriguez?