A Monster On Display
Naoya Inoue put on a display worthy of becoming a four-division world champion as he took apart Stephen Fulton in Tokyo.
Yet whilst the accolades may precede Inoue, it is the titan behind those achievements that make him the entity he is.
See this was uncharted territory for ‘The Monster’, never before had he fought up at 122lbs. It was hardly an elementary first visit too, with Fulton widely regarded as the division’s best.
Yet the bigger, longer, and reputedly slicker fighter in Fulton looked utterly petrified at the thought of being in-range of the devastating Inoue.
And, when he dared to throw first, he was painfully reimbursed.
But this was not just a pitiless hounding. This was a carefully constructed dismantling.
With a fighter like Inoue, it’s easy for his skill to be disregarded in return for complete adulation of his ability to take someone out. It is only natural; it makes for thrilling viewing.
However Inoue’s status as a puncher is assisted by his mastery of the boxing code. His lightning hand speed compliments his delicate footwork, stupefying opponents before he has a chance to land his shots.
He is unhesitating too. He fights like he doesn’t have a second to think.
Add to that his aura - of which he portrays a king on his way to execute a traitor - and he just looks like a man who may well never lose.
Or if he is to, he may well have to be pushed towards the realms of ridiculousness.
But for now, let’s appreciate this performance.
It began with a zipping Inoue jab in the first, aimed towards a Fulton who had taken centre ring in attempt to assert his dominance.
It did little to assert anything upon the ring in which Inoue made his home. Come the second, Fulton already looked uncomfortable, with a thudding left hook to the body doing little to dispel such feeling.
If Fulton felt out of sorts on away territory, then it may have been compounded by Inoue slipping almost every jab.
Round three saw the first sign of slight bleeding around the mouth of Fulton, who was then forced to eat several of Inoue’s straight shots in the following round.
After a dominating first four for Inoue, Fulton responded with success of his own in the fifth - a tidy one-two left hook landed clean on the challenger. This was the Fulton we wanted.
But when pressured, Inoue responds in one way and one way only.
His aggressive start to round six saw him land a short-left hook before a stiffening right hand. Fulton’s attempt to regain some control came in the form of throwing whatever he could.
That included a splendidly timed right cross towards the end of the round. Inoue looked to have slight swelling around his left eye.
Inoue, frustrated by every ounce of Fulton’s success, threw in bunches at the start of the seventh, forcing Fulton against the ropes. The American replied with a sharp jab upstairs.
The eighth began once again with Inoue pushing the fight, working at Fulton’s body.
And then this…
A savaging right hand, followed by a left hook equally as such, saw Fulton hit the canvas.
Inoue himself hit the turnbuckle, but Fulton managed to climb to his feet. He was only delaying the inevitable, which came soon after.
A flurry of Inoue hooks and… FIGHT OVER.
.. and article over, as I run out of superlatives for this extraordinary fighter, Naoya Inoue.
The King of Tuesdays.
Oscar Bevis
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