Undisputed gold will be up for grabs on Tuesday, as Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) and Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19 KOs) will share the ring for super bantamweight supremacy.
When Inoue and Tapales go one-on-one on December 26 inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, they’ll be fighting for the undisputed super bantamweight crown. Inoue already had a taste of undisputed gold when he captured all the major championships at 118 pounds. Undisputed gold in a second weight class would add to Inoue’s impressive resume.
As for Tapales, there is no doubt he is the massive underdog going into this one. He will be looking to shock the world and etch his name in boxing history with what would be the biggest win of his pro boxing career.
Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales: Preview and Prediction
By now, fans and pundits know that Inoue is the total package. His punching power is top-notch, he has blistering speed, and his ability to cut off the ring is second to none. Fighting “The Monster” is like playing a game of pick your poison. You can try to stand toe-to-toe with him, but your night would probably end early. You can take a more measured approach, but he’ll have you back peddling. Stephen Fulton, who is every bit as good as he was advertised ahead of the Inoue fight, found this out the hard way.
Tapales thrives off his timing. Tapales succeeded with his lead uppercut in his last outing against Murodjon Akhmadaliev. His heavy hands had Akhmadaliev taking a more reserved approach early on. I don’t believe Tapales has nearly the same amount of success when he meets Inoue, who will be on him like a hawk.
The speed and power of Inoue will overwhelm Tapales, who will be unable to get into a rhythm before he finds himself on the canvas. When Akhmadaliev finally found his opponent’s chin in round seven, he briefly had Tapales against the ropes before he fired back. Inoue won’t allow Tapales to process what is happening and move away from danger. Don’t be surprised if this one doesn’t make it past round four.
Prediction: Naoya Inoue via TKO
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