Fulton embraces defending unified title vs. superstar Inoue in Japan
Showdown in Tokyo is on Tuesday morning U.S. time
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While Stephen Fulton’s team at Premier Boxing Champions and network partner Showtime were planning for a March rematch between Fulton and Brandon Figueroa, whom Fulton edged by majority decision in an action-packed junior featherweight unification fight in November 2021, Fulton had other ideas.
Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue had pummeled Paul Butler en route to a one-sided 11th-round knockout in December to unify the four bantamweight titles to become the division’s first undisputed champion in 50 years and planned to move up to junior featherweight, where he wanted to pursue a world title in a fourth weight division.
Fulton wanted the biggest fight he could have and Inoue wanted to fight the No. 1 fighter in the 122-pound division for his WBC and WBO belts. It all made perfect sense that they should face each other, which is what will happen on Tuesday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo in one of the best fights that could be made in boxing. The card will stream on ESPN+ in the United States beginning at 4:30 a.m. ET with the main event at approximately 8 a.m. ET.
Unlike many big-time fights whose negotiations drag out for months — sometimes years — and often play out in public on social media with everybody weighing in on what sort of deal should be struck, that was not the case with Fulton-Inoue.
One day the fighters seemed to show interest in facing each other and then suddenly the fight was made with zero drama or public posturing from the fighters or promoters.
“It was something I just wanted to happen, so I was given the blessing. I feel like when you really want things to happen, two men just sit down and make it happen, and that’s what we did,” Fulton told Fight Freaks Unite in an interview shortly before leaving for Japan. “Over the phone I spoke with (PBC’s) Al (Haymon) and my matchmaker Luis (DeCubas Jr.) and all of them, and Al said, ‘If that’s what you want to do, let him do it.’ Now we’re here.”
