Set for a titanic showdown this week in Tokyo, Japan’s own Naoya Inoue squares off against Stephen Fulton for all the super bantamweight marbles at the Ariake Arena. As touched on before in this space, Inoue aka “The Monster” is a three-division world champion and also the former undisputed bantamweight champion. Opposing him will be the former No. 1 ranked junior featherweight fighter in the world, Fulton. The former has a current record of 24 wins, with 21 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Meanwhile, the American is coming off a title defense where he retained both the WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles in a unanimous decision victory over Daniel Roman.
In this article, SBS will be going over the different potential outcomes of this fight, along with a prediction of what will happen, along with more thoughts and notes about boxing betting.
| Stephen Fulton vs. Naoya Inoue V. 3 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulton to win via KO/TKO | +900 | +900 | +900 |
| Fulton to win via decision | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Inoue to win via KO/TKO | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Inoue to win via decision | +225 | +225 | +225 |
In terms of different potential outcomes, Fulton scoring the victory by way of knockout has the highest odds at +900. In terms of this event occurring, his recent track record explains the higher odds here. Fulton has won his last four fights by way of decision but has not scored a knockout win since 2019 against Isaac Avelar. Moreover, he has more decision victories (13) in his career than knockout wins (8).
In terms of looking at Fulton scoring the victory as a decision, this is the more likely outcome for the champion. As referenced above, the American has 13 decision victories in his boxing career and has won four in a row via decision. Moreover, given the fact that Inoue has never lost, this would be a stunning outcome if he was knocked out. Finally, in all of his super bantamweight title bouts, he has won each by way of a decision.
The favored outcome in this bout is Inoue scoring another sensational knockout, but Fulton has perhaps the best resume of any fighter the Japanese champion has faced to this point. With this in mind, the American will not go down without a fight so keep this in mind when looking at the various bets that can be placed on this fight. Inoue also has only notched three decision wins in his career to date, the last occurring in 2019.
While it may come down to the wire, the outcome that has betting markets most fired up is the Japanese champion scoring yet another knockout. To date, he has 21 KO victories, with his last five fights ending in either KO or TKO fashion. Moreover, Inoue has 13 KO/TKO wins to one decision victory each time he has fought in Tokyo. Of course, the caliber of the fighter has steadily risen over time, but The Monster seems to enjoy fighting in the Japanese megacity.
Prediction: This should be an excellent battle, but given Inoue’s sensational punching power, take the champion to score the 22nd knockout victory of his career.
After you are all squared away regarding the latest wagering news and information on boxing, make sure to tap into the wide variety of information that SBS has in store for you. For instance, our boxing betting sites guide has you covered if you still desire more insights on the sport at hand. On another note, for those uncertain about which payment options make the most sense for you, the SBS payment methods rundown is a great read. Here you can find options from crypto to more traditional banking routes for deposits and withdrawals. Finally, for those on the go, the SBS best betting apps rundown gives you all kinds of insights into mobile betting.
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
Read Chris's ProfileAsk Chris about this guide:
