By Jim Calfa: Sky Sports in the UK will show the May 7th fight between WBC & WBO super bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton and Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue from the Yokohama Arena, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
The Fulton vs. Inoue fight will be shown in the afternoon on Sunday, May 7th, on Sky Sports for UK viewers. American Fulton, 28, is confident that he’s got the size and the talent to neutralize Inoue’s punching power and send him back to the 118-lb weight class with his first loss, having failed at his goal to capture all the belts at 122.
At some point, Inoue will bump into his ceiling of what he can achieve in gliding through weight classes, looking to capture world titles to add to his legacy.
It’s admirable what the Japanese star has accomplished in his 11-year professional career, but he hasn’t faced any elite-level fighters along the way.
Undefeated former three-division world champion Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs) will be moving up in weight to the 122-lb weight class, looking to capture his fourth division world title and begin the process of becoming a two-division undisputed champ.
It figures to be a lot tougher for Inoue to become an undisputed champion at super bantamweight by beating WBC/WBO champ Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) and IBF & WBA champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Those guys are more solid obstacles for Inoue than the fighters he defeated at bantamweight to capture the four belts in that weight division to become an undisputed champion.
In his last fight, the 29-year-old ‘Monster’ Inoue defeated WBO bantamweight champion Paul Butler by an 11th round knockout last December in Tokyo, Japan, to become the undisputed champ at 118.
Naoya entered the contest with Butler as the IBF, WBA & WBC bantamweight champion. He only needed his WBO strap to round out his titles to become the undisputed champion.
In Inoue’s previous title wins at bantamweight, he defeated Nonito WBA & WBC champ Donaire, IBF champion Emmanuel Rodriguez and WBA ‘regular’ belt holder Jamie McDonnell.
“Stephen Fulton vs. Naoya Inoue unified world title fight live on Sky Sports on May 7 from the Yokohama Arena,” per Sky Sports. “Naoya Inoue will box live on Sky Sports in the early afternoon of Sunday, May 7.
“Inoue, a devastating puncher with a 24-0 pro record, the former undisputed bantamweight champion, is stepping up to super-bantam to challenge Stephen Fulton for the unified WBC and WBO titles.”