⭐️⭐️⭐️ Naoya Inoue Vs. Stephen Fulton Jr. — FINAL PREDICTIONS ⭐️⭐️⭐️

If Inoue himself is to be believed, he's faster and hitting harder now that he doesn't have to cut as much weight. That said, Fulton's defense gets highly overrated and he's not nearly as slick or difficult to hit as people say. He was stunned by Adam Lopez and Arnold Khegai and Figs put hands on him for all 12 rounds. I think Inoue will be able to hurt him and put him away.

 

I think Fulton will be 142 pounds on fight night and Inoue 129-132. Fulton's gonna be a lot bigger.

 

Judges

Guido Cavalleri (Italy)
Manuel Paloma (Spain)
Dick Blouin (Canada)

Referee

Hector Afu (Panama)

 

Thank god Adelaide Byrd, Glen Trowbridge, and Dave Moretti are literal oceans away from this fight.

 

THE RING

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“This matchup is as good as boxing gets. Inoue, who cracked The Ring rankings in his fourth pro bout as a junior flyweight almost 10 years ago, has the look of a generational talent. Fulton is the man at junior featherweight. Both are complete, athletic fighters who are used to challenging themselves (that’s why the fight is happening). Whoever can dictate the pace and distance will have the edge in this one, and we can expect an entertaining duel of speed, power jabs, counter punches, and choice body shots. I think Fulton’s size, experience and style will pose a lot of problems for Inoue, who is making his 122-pound debut. I can see a path to a decision victory if the Philly fighter can stick-and-move with authority without getting pulled into extended exchanges, but the more likely scenario is Inoue clipping Fulton at some point between the middle and late rounds. Fulton likes to go to the body with both hands and he does so in a way that leaves his head exposed. He’s got good upper body movement, but he also has a habit of leaving his hands down. I think Fulton will have his moments, but I expect Inoue to be at his motivated best and my hunch is that he’ll hurt Fulton to the body and finish the American standout with head shots sometime after the eighth round.”

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“Both fighters should be lauded for taking such a risky fight. Inoue could easily have taken a lesser opponent and settled into the new division, while Fulton went out of his way to secure this fight. The Philadelphia native had been linked with a return fight with Brandon Figueroa up at featherweight but ultimately decided he wanted to face Inoue and was happy to take his two titles to Japan to do so, which will be a big challenge. The fight is very intriguing, it will see both men face their biggest challenge to date. Fulton’s toughest test came against Figueroa, an all-action punching machine, and the American was able to pass the exam. Inoue’s most difficult night came when he got wobbled and battled through a fractured right eye-socket to beat Donaire. Both those wins were each fighters proving ground but they’ll be required to step up again to win this fight. It will mark the first time Inoue has fought an elite African-American opponent, who will present him with problems with his quick hands and feet, certainly more than he will have faced so far in his career. However, it will also be a giant leap into the unknown for Fulton, while he was able to hold off Figueroa, Inoue is a much more polished fighter who has elite skills of his own and will sorely test Fulton. I feel fighting at home will be a big help for Inoue, who I think will have problems with Fulton’s style but always just be a step ahead and win a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision 116-112.”

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“Boxing certainly has its faults, but it’s fights such as Inoue-Fulton that illustrate what the sport can be if the right fights can be made often enough. This will feature a pleasing contrast of styles between two tough-as-nails competitors capable of producing high work rate, excellent accuracy and above-average defense. Although this will mark Inoue’s debut at 122, he will be fighting at home against an opponent with a low KO percentage (.381) and who will need to box on the retreat in order to give himself the best chance to win — a tough way to impress the judges in general, but even tougher when fighting in a high-end challenger’s home nation. Fulton will have his moments, but I believe Inoue’s aggression, body punching and technique will eventually wear down the American and score the late-round TKO.”

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“It is truly difficult to envision a once-in-a-generation talent like Inoue being less than 100 percent for this homecoming fight against a superb talent like Fulton. People read too much on that Donaire fight and how vulnerable Inoue looked at times, but that was more a merit of a legend like Donaire than a lack of preparation or focus by Inoue. I do expect a more difficult-than-usual challenge for The Monster, but he will definitely prevail by a comfortable margin or a late stoppage.”

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“A fantastic fight which, sadly, will be remembered more in historical importance than the current hype around it since it airs on a Tuesday in Japan. On paper Stephen Fulton holds advantages in age, size, natural weight class, and probably strength, which is not to be mistaken for power. There, it is Naoya Inoue who has the edge given his devastating fusion of balance, speed, technique, and punching power. Which package wins out comes down to poise in this pressure situation, and I trust the more tested Inoue on his home turf. The fight goes the distance, with Fulton battling back in the middle rounds, but ultimately unable to stop the more precise punching of Inoue in the championship rounds. I can even see a knockdown in favor of Inoue sealing a win that looks more comfortable on the scorecards than it was. No matter who wins, the loser will only be negatively impacted by the Twitter trolls who scream “exposed” for a short period… but fully praised in historical terms down the line.”

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“He’s 5-foot-5, a little guy, but his stature has never been bigger in both the global pound-for-pound debate and Japanese popularity polls. That ascent figures to continue against Stephen Fulton, who has traveled a long way to take on what can only be called a longshot attempt at beating Inoue in front of adoring countrymen, who recently voted him as Japan’s fourth most popular athlete in a poll conducted by The Sasakawa Sports Foundation. Inoue is not Ohtani, Japan’s Babe Ruth. But he’s in the ballpark. Fulton has the experience. He has two of the belts, too. He’s proven at junior featherweight. In Japan, however, he looks to be only a stepping stone for Inoue, a three-division champion who is making his 122-pound debut. The slick Fulton may be elusive enough to take it to the scorecards. But Inoue’s dynamic mix of power and precision will be too much, especially in the late rounds.”