Japan’s “Monster” Naoya Inoue won the WBO and WBC junior featherweight titles in impressive fashion when he stopped American and defending champion Stephen Fulton in the eighth round on Tuesday at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
The time was 1:14.
This was 30-year-old Naoya’s fourth weight class belt.
Naoya came out fast in the first round as he pushed the taller Fulton back with stinging jabs.
This was the pattern throughout the fight with Fulton, 29, trying to stem the tide with counter punches.
However, the defending champion had no answer against the skilful and stronger Naoya, as he tried to score with counter punches but to no avail.
In the eighth round Naoya came out aggressively to land with a big right hand and a left hook that sent Fulton, who was bleeding from the nose, down on the canvas.
He managed to beat the count but Naoya was on top of him throwing combinations before referee Hector Afu from Panama stepped in to stop the fight, as Fulton fell down with his back against the corner post.
Naoya improved his record to 25-0; 22 and Fulton’s record dropped to21-1; 8.
On the undercard, WBO featherweight champion Robeisy Ramirez (13-1; 8) of Cuba retained his title against Japan’s Satoshi Shimizu (11-2; 10) on a fifth-round stoppage.
Ramirez dominated from the opening bell and scored a knockdown with a left uppercut in the fifth round.
Shimizu managed to beat the count but the champion pounded him with lefts and rights before the referee Ramon Pena stopped the fight.
The time was 1:08.