In a showdown that features two of boxing’s best in the bantamweight division, Stephen Fulton takes on Naoya Inoue in Japan on July 25th for all the bantamweight gold. The former is the current WBC and WBO super bantamweight champion while the latter holds the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and the Ring bantamweight titles. While the fight was originally scheduled for May 7th, it was pushed back to July 25th with Inoue sustaining an injury. With the bout almost three months away, it will give these two fighters an opportunity to train to their best ability in the pursuit of unifying all of the bantamweight gold at the Arlake Arena in Tokyo.
In this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from each fighter and a final prediction on who will reign supreme at the Arlake Arena.
The unified super bantamweight world champion, Fulton has held the WBO title since January of 2021 and also picked up the WBC strap in November of that same year. At one point he has also been ranked as the No. 1 junior featherweight in the world by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. With an undefeated overall record of 21 wins with zero losses, the 28-year-old from Philadelphia has been able to amass a variety of fantastic performances. A fighter with a penchant for scoring high on the judge’s scorecards, the majority of Fulton’s wins have come via decision at 13 total to eight knockouts.
A former Golden Gloves gold medalist at the super bantamweight level back in 2013, Fulton is coming off a unanimous decision win over Daniel Roman in July of last year. This will be his second title defense and will be his biggest bout yet as he has yet to meet a challenger that has brought him to a split decision. Moreover, this will also be the American’s first fight outside of the United States as he takes on the former three-division world champion, Inoue.
Opposing the American is the highly-successful Inoue, nicknamed “The Monster” because of his speed, punching power, and ferocity. With an amazing knockout ratio of 88%, few have been able to stand in the ring with the 30-year-old for long and come out unscathed. As of earlier this year, he is ranked as the world’s best active boxer, pound for pound, by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Moreover, he is also the only Japanese fighter in history to be recognized as the No. 1 competitor in pound-for-pound rankings by global boxing outlets.
With an unblemished record of 24-0, Inoue has won the majority of his bouts via knockout with 21 total KO victories in his career. In fact, he is coming off a string of five consecutive KO or TKO wins, including victories over the likes of Paul Butler and Nonito Donaire. With his latest victory over Butler, Inoue became the first boxer in history to defeat all four major sanctioning organization champions by knockout.
Prediction: A blistering showdown, Inoue takes the decision here given his lengthier track record, and also having this battle on Japanese soil gives him a mental boost.
After you are all dialed in regarding your wagers for the Fulton vs. Inoue showdown, SBS has you covered with various resources to keep the good times rolling. Of course, for even more information and breakdowns on the sport at hand, the SBS boxing betting sites guide is a must-read to keep up on the latest happenings with expert picks. Conversely, for those on the go, our best betting apps rundown has all the insights related to getting the most out of mobile betting. Finally, given the stakes of the bout, the SBS VIP sports betting sites breakdown is a great tool to get even more out of your bets. On this page you can learn more about the perks of VIP sports betting and if it is the right fit for you.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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