Via Robert Segal: Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue and Paul Butler have agreed terms for an undisputed bantamweight clash on December 13 in Japan.
The fight between Inoue and Butler will likely be shown on ESPN+ in the US,” according to Mike Coppinger.
WBO bantamweight champion Butler (32-2, 15 KOs) is seen as a much weaker underdog against big puncher Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs), who looks undefeated at this point in the game. his career.
The winner of the Inoue-Butler fight will be the first undisputed bantamweight champion in nearly 50 years.
For IBF/WBA/WBC 118-lb champion Inoue, he needed this belt to complete his title collection at bantamweight.
With the win, Inoue will own all four titles in the 118 lb division and then decide to move up to 122 to try to win all the belts in that division or in the bantamweight division and defend the four titles.
Inoue, 29, will reach Nonito Donaire’s second knockout round in their rematch last June in Saitama, Japan. Donaire posed big problems for Inoue in their first bout in November 2019, losing a grueling 12th round unanimous decision in a bout that left both boxers injured.
Naoya Inoue and Paul Butler have agreed terms for an undisputed bantamweight title match on December 13 in Japan, sources say. @MikeCoppinger. pic.twitter.com/kHIC2UszqQ
– ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) August 25, 2022
By the time Inoue was finally able to give Donaire a rematch, it was a total carnage. 39-year-old Donaire slowed down considerably from their first game and was an easy pick for superstar ‘Monster’ Inoue in the rematch.
“I haven’t watched all of his bouts, but I can see him as a talented and energetic fighter,” Inoue told ESPN about Butler. “If I can unify four bantamweight titles this year, I want to move up to super bantamweight.”
If Inoue moves to 122, he could face IBF/WBA champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev and WBC/WBO champion Stephen Fulton for their title to try and become undisputed at super bantamweight.
Ideally, Inoue should win all four belts quickly, as long as his promoters at the Top Rated can help him fight against those champions.
Butler recently won the vacant 118-lb WBO title with a unanimous 12-round decision against Jonas Sultan in April. The win for Butler was his eighth straight win since a decisive round 12 loss to Emmanuel Rodriguez four years ago in 2018. In 2015, Zolani Tete hit Butler, stopping him in the first round. 8.
