One of the most intriguing, and perhaps explosive, fights will take place at Yokohama Stadium in Japan on May 7, where former four-belt bantamweight King Naoya Inoue will conquer the 122-pound division by taking on two-belt ruler Stephen. Fulton. The fight will take place in the early morning hours US time, this fight is live on ESPN+ and this fight should be worth getting up early for (as a UK fan, I hope the fight gets an outlet on this side of the pond!)
Inoue, perfect at 24-0 (21) and one of the top three fighters on the planet today, will be looking to add to his already stacked resume/legacy with a win over Fulton, who will be looking to retain his WBC and WBO belts in what will be his first fight. outside the United States. So it will be new things for both fighters; Inoue will be looking to see if his speed and punching power get heavy with him, while Fulton will be facing a hostile crowd (although Japanese fans are known for being very polite when attending the fight).
Fulton of Philly is not a huge hitter, as his 21-0 (8) record shows, but he is very skilled, quick and has a lot of self-belief. Fulton insists he’s going to win, and that he never goes out there feeling scared. It should be a great event on May 7, with the cavernous Yokohama Stadium, which has a capacity of 17,000 and is almost certain to be crowded at night.
Inoue is of course only a huge star in Japan, while he is well known to fans all over the world. Fulton goes abroad in search of a sudden win that will catapult him into another class in terms of fame and reputation.
Will Inoue score himself a KO or another stoppage, or will Fulton’s skills and toughness force Inoue to fight to the last bell? The way Fulton tells it, he’d be the winner, and it wouldn’t be a surprise win in his mind.
There are a number of potentially big fights that may or may not come to us this year; Battles that have not yet been signed. Inoue-Fulton is now official and “The Monster” fans can’t wait.
