Japanese Boxer Naoya Inoue Knocks Out Marlon Tapales in Super Bantamweight Title Unification Match
Marlon Tapales put up a strong fight, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the “monster” that is Naoya Inoue in their super bantamweight unification bout.
In a convincing 10th-round knockout at the Ariake Arena in Japan on December 26, 2023, the Japanese champion solidified his position by adding the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association crowns to his collection, in addition to his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization belts.
Inoue, with a 26-0 record and 23 knockouts, held his ground against the gallant Tapales, who fell to a 37-4 slate with 19 KOs. Despite giving Inoue some trouble, Tapales was unable to withstand the Japanese champion’s relentless onslaught, and ultimately failed to beat the count after being knocked down in the 10th round.
Although Inoue’s victory was expected, the fight was not as sensational as his previous bouts, largely due to Tapales’ strong showing. Despite going down twice in the fourth round, Tapales showed resilience and even switched up his defensive strategy in the middle of the match, frustrating Inoue at times.
In the end, Inoue’s incredible firepower and relentless body shots proved too much for Tapales to handle, solidifying Inoue’s meteoric rise in boxing.
The result was a bittersweet defeat for Tapales, who displayed courage and a strong fighting spirit against an opponent labeled as a “monster” in the ring.
