Japan’s Naoya Inoue (left) and England’s Paul Butler pose for a photo during their December 13 pre-bantamweight press conference, in Yokohama on December 10, 2022. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI/AFP)
Japan’s Naoya Inoue said on Saturday that he intends to prove he dominates the bantamweight world when he takes on Britain’s Paul Butler for the undisputed title in Tokyo next week.
Aggressive boxer Inoue, nicknamed “The Beast,” is aiming to become the first undisputed bantamweight world champion in modern boxing history by adding Butler’s WBO title to his own WBC, WBA and IBF belts.
The undefeated 29-year-old has previously said that he intends to move up to super bantamweight after winning all four bantamweight belts and he is confident he will complete his mission on Tuesday.
“Having four belts proves that I am the number one bantamweight fighter, so for me this belt is essential,” Inoue told reporters in Yokohama.
“When I have four belts, I decide what happens next, whether that means moving up to super bantamweight or whatever.”
Victory for Inoue would make him the ninth undisputed world champion since the four-belt era began in 2004, and the first at bantamweight.
He won the WBC title by knocking out Filipino veteran Nonito Donaire in two innings in a previous bout in June.
Butler, 34, took the vacant WBO belt from previous champion John Riel Casimero when he beat Jonas Sultan by unanimous decision in April.
He was elevated to the all-around champion the month after the WBO stripped Casimero of his full title.
Butler said he was aiming for his own place in boxing immortality when he stepped into the ring with Inoue.
“I am not only the first bantamweight fighter to do that, but possibly the first British person to win all four belts in this era,” said boxer Ellesmere Port.
“I think the last undisputed person is Lennox Lewis. Since then, nobody has done it in the four belt era so this is a big fight for myself and a big fight for England.”
Inoue became the first Japanese boxer to top Ring Magazine’s prestigious pound-for-pound rankings as the best boxer in all weight classes after fighting Donaire.
He knocked out Donaire at the end of the first round and then went on the offensive in the second round, knocking him down again with a left-handed swing that brought the referee to a halt.
Inoue will enter Tuesday’s match as the favorite but he warned that Butler’s style is “very different from Donaire”.
Inoue said: “He was the one who used all 12 rounds.
“Of course, I am ready to beat him even if it is a long fight. Whether I win by knockout or by points, I want to show boxing excellence,” he added.
“I wanted to show a boxing performance unlike anything that has happened before.”
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