By Ian S Palmer
Unbeaten Naoya Inoue of Japan will be putting his WBC, IBF, WBA, and Ring Magazine Bantamweight Titles on the line against England’s Paul Butler this Tuesday, December 13th with Butler’s WBO Belt also being up for grabs. The 12-rounder from Tokyo, Japan can be seen live on ESPN+ in America with the card starting between 2:30 and 5am EST. Fans in Japan can catch it on Amazon Prime Video, dTV and Hikari TV. While Australian fans can catch it on Kayo Sports and those in Canada can see it on TSN.ca and the TSN app. ‘The Monster’ Inoue last fought in June when he stopped Nonito Donaire in the second round of their rematch to take his WBC Title. Butler was last in action in April when be beat Jonas Sultan via a unanimous decision to take the WBO Belt after it was stripped from John Riel Casimero.
The 29-year-old Inoue advanced to the World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight Final and won the IBF belt when he stopped Emmanuel Rodriguez in the second round in May, 2019. Six months later he beat Nonito Donaire by unanimous decision in a classic to capture the World Boxing Super Series tournament as well as Donaire’s WBA Super World Belt. Inoue had originally won the regular WBA title in May, 2018 when he stopped Jamie McDonnell in just 112 seconds.
Inoue is also a former WBO Jr. Bantamweight and WBC Junior Flyweight Titleholder who has all the tools to be considered one of the world’s top pound-for-pound boxers and enters the ring at 23-0 with 20 Ko’s. He defended his Junior Bantamweight Crown seven times before moving up in weight. The Japanese star became a world champion in just his sixth pro fight when he stopped Adrian Hernandez in the sixth round for his WBC Junior Flyweight Belt in May, 2014.
He defended it once then moved up to super flyweight and took the title from Omar Narvaez by second-round KO in December, 2014. Inoue, known as ‘The Monster,’ has been a sensation in his homeland since turning pro in 2012 and has boxed 127 rounds since. He’s a hard hitter with good boxing skills and owns a very impressive 87 per cent knockout ratio.
Inoue stands 5-feet-5-inches tall with a 67.5-inch reach. Before turning pro he enjoyed a fine amateur career and is now 18-0 with 15 Ko’s in world title fights. He’s also beaten the likes of Jason Moloney, Juan Carlos Payano, Ryoichi Taguchi, Kohei Kono, Antonio Nieves, David Carmona and Ricardo Rodriguez. He’s 9-0 with 7 Ko’s against current or former world champions in Donaire (twice), Rodriguez, Taguchi, Hernandez, Narvaez, Kono, McDonnell and Payano.
The 34-year-old Butler climbs through the ropes with a record of 34-2 with 15 Ko’s and has boxed 254 rounds since making his pro debut in 2010. He enjoyed a fine amateur career before that and was the 2010 English ABA National Championship Elite Champion. He measures 5-feet-6-inches tall with a 65-inch reach so half-an-inch taller than Inoue but gives up 2.5-inches in reach. He has average power in his fists though with a current knockout ratio of 41.7 per cent.
Butler’s first loss came at the hands of Zolani Tete when he was stopped in the eighth round in 2015 in a shot at the IBF Super Flyweight Title and was beaten again in 2018 when he dropped a unanimous decision to Emmanuel Rodriguez in a shot at the vacant IBF Bantamweight Crown. He was decked twice in the first round but also blew his chance at winning the belt by coming into the fight over weight.
Since turning pro, Butler has also captured the BBBoC British, Commonwealth Boxing Council, WBO Inter-Continental, WBA Inter-Continental, and WBO International Super Flyweight Titles as well as the WBA Inter-Continental, WBO International, and WBA Continental Bantamweight Belts. Butler is 2-2 in world title fights as he beat Stuart Hall by split decision in 2014 for the IBF Bantamweight Title before moving up in weight. He’s also beaten Miguel Gonzalez, Ruben Montoya and Yoan Boyeaux.
Prediction…
Inoue is attempting to become just the ninth undisputed world champion since the four-belt era began in 2004, and the first in the bantamweight division. He’s well known for his exceptional power but also possesses fine all-round boxing skills, speed and movement. He has a tremendous ability to take and dish out punishment while Butler appears to lack the power to keep him at bay. Butler’s also a fine boxer but I don’t think he has the chin or skills to beat Inoue. I’m expecting Inoue to make bantamweight history in Tokyo this Tuesday with another win before probably moving up to the super bantamweight division.
