Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales the battle for undisputed king at super bantamweight takes place at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday, December 26, live on Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+.
Undefeated Japanese knockout artist Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs) will try to unify his WBC and WBO 122-pound titles against rugged unified Filipino IBF and WBA champion Marlon Tapales.
The 30-year-old Japanese star Inoue is also known as “The Monster” because of his vicious punching power and his offensive ability that puts fighters on the defense because they fear being badly hurt against him.
Inoue already won titles in four different weight classes, and now he aims to become a two-weight undisputed champion.
Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19 KOs) will enter the ring as a champion but also a heavy underdog. The 31-year-old southpaw from the Philippines is a two-weight division champion and the current holder of the IBF and WBA titles at super bantamweight.
On paper Inoue should win the fight but in boxing anything can happen and if you over look an opponent they can pull off an upset. Tapales isn’t the best boxer or most dynamic but he is awkward and gives fighters difficulty due to his southpaw stance and unorthodox boxing style.
Inoue is confident he will finish the Filipino by knockout and become an undisputed champion at 122-pounds furthering his legacy as one of the greatest Asian boxers of all time.
Fight Card
Super Bantamweight Championship – Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales (IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO Titles)
Bantamweight – Seiya Tsutsumi vs. Kazuki Anaguchi
Light Welterweight – Andy Hiraoka vs. Sebastian Diaz Maldonado
Super Bantamweight – Yoshiki Takei vs. Mario Diaz Maldonado
Flyweight – Kanamu Sakama vs. John Paul Gabunilas
Featherweight – Suguru Ishikawa vs. Fuga Uematsu
Super Featherweight – Rikiya Sato vs. Keisuke Endo
Top Rank Boxing on ESPN: Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales will take place live on Tuesday, December 26, 2023, start time 3:00 a.m. ET/12:00 a.m. PT, exclusively live streamed in the United States on ESPN+. To Subscribe Visit: ESPNPlus.com/Top Rank
