By: Sean Crose
Now it cannot be denied that Naoya Inoue sits atop the mighty mountain of boxing. On Tuesday morning (US time), the boxer dubbed “The Beast” overwhelmed and then stopped the extremely skilled Stephen Fulton in front of a passionate crowd at Ariake Arena, Japan. It wasn’t a stellar performance, one that catapulted Inoue as a four-weight world champion, as Fulton’s WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles now belong to him. The match, televised live on the US channel ESPN, was impressive if not one-sided.
The first match was close and fast-paced, with Inoe landing at times. The second inning saw Inoue prevail by applying pressure and landing on Fulton. American Fulton used some effective strikes in the third round, but didn’t throw enough to get through the round. Inoue dominated in the fourth round, when Fulton showed blood on his face. With that said, Fulton had a strong fifth inning, eventually landing in front of Inoue and using solid footwork. He continued to fight well into the sixth inning, though Inoue’s quick punches were able to find their home.
Fulton had a very good seventh round – until Inoue once again started to land late in the round. Everything stops at the eighth. First, Inoue knocks Fulton down unexpectedly and dramatically. After Fulton deliberately stood up, Inoue charged in and killed him, opening fire until the referee intervened and stopped the game. Fulton then collapsed onto the canvas in the corner while Inoue enjoyed the crowning achievement. All questions have been answered.
