Junior featherweight titleholder Stephen Fulton Jr. will defend his belts against fellow pound-for-pounder Naoya Inoue on Tuesday in Japan.
STEPHEN FULTON JR. (21-0, 8 KOs) VS. NAOYA INOUE (24-0, 21 KOs)
- Date: Tuesday, July 25
- Time: 4:30 a.m. ET / 1:30 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Ariake Arena, Tokyo
- TV/Stream: ESPN+
- Division: Junior featherweight (122 pounds)
- At stake: Fulton’s WBC and WBO titles
- Odds: Inoue 3-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Robeisy Ramirez vs. Satoshi Shimizu, featherweights (for Ramirez’s WBO title)
- Prediction: Inoue UD
- Background: Fulton vs. Inoue is one of the best-possible matchups in boxing. They are both unbeaten, both are on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list (Inoue No. 2, Fulton Honorable Mention) and both are at the top of their games. Fulton, a master technician, won his first of two major titles by easily outpointing Angelo Leo in January 2021. The Philadelphian then added his second by eking past Brandon Figueroa by a majority decision in a taxing brawl 10 months later. He’s coming off an outstanding performance, a near-shutout performance against capable Daniel Roman in June of last year. Some believe Inoue is the best all-around fighter in the world. The former three-division titleholder from Yokohama has an imposing combination of ability, speed and power, which has allowed him to overwhelm virtually all of his opponents. He last fought in December, when he dominated and then stopped Paul Butler in 11 rounds in defense of his undisputed 118-pound championship. He later vacated all four of his titles. Inoue, who started as a 108-pounder in 2012, will be fighting above 118 pounds for the first time in his career. That could be an equalizer for Fulton, who oddsmakers have made a substantial underdog.
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