Naoya Inoue stops Marlon Tapales to claim undisputed gold in two weight classes

Japanese pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue became the second boxer in history to win four major world titles in two weight classes following a ten-round knockout over Marlon Tapales this Tuesday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Inoue came out jabbing in the opening round while Tapales seemingly felt what his opponent had to offer. Tapales came forward in round two, throwing jabs and power punches more frequently.

Both fighters traded with bad intentions in round 4, resulting in Tapales getting sent to the canvas before the round ended. Tapales looked partially recovered and came out swining in round five. Inoue was glad to indulge, throwing hard punches of his own.

Tapales had moments in round 7 as he landed his jab on his way to the pocket. In round 10, a hard right straight on top reduced Tapales to his knees. Unable to beat the count, the referee waived the contest in favor of Inoue.

Inoue, who now holds the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF world titles in the 122-pound super bantamweight division, improved his record to 26-0 with 23 knockouts while Tapales dropped to 37-4 with 19 knockouts.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News