Beat Brit Paul Butler in Round 11, Naoya Inoue: Duel Longer Than Usual, I'm Satisfied

Naoya Inaue (Instagram @naoianoue_410)

JAKARTA — Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue has succeeded in becoming the undisputed bantamweight king after defeating his British opponent Brit Paul Butler in 11 rounds. He claimed to be satisfied even though the duel took longer than usual.

The 34-year-old Butler brings his WBO title to Tokyo to face the WBC, WBA, and IBF champion Inoue. Unfortunately, he was defeated by a knockout (KO) by the fighter nicknamed the Monster.

This victory propels Inoue, who started a sensational career at super flyweight, to aim for the super bantamweight division.

"Thanks to Butler for coming to Japan. I couldn't have done this without him and I applaud him", said Inoue as quoted by The Sun, Thursday, December 15, 2022.

"I was anticipating a long fight and I can show you more. So, I'm happy. The duel is longer than usual, I'm satisfied", he added.

Butler came off as the underdog in the duel. Even so, he was able to fight much longer to break the predictions of many who predicted he would fall in just the first few rounds.

These results showed Butler and his trainer Joe Gallagher could stick to a risk-free fight plan early in the round, forcing Inoue into longer rounds.

Butler's guard was high and disciplined enough that he could easily fend off most of Inoue's attacks. He doesn't fall into the opponent's trap easily even though the monsters lure him many times.

"I've finally become the undisputed bantamweight champion, thank you very much. It's been a long journey for me but this is the last round at bantamweight and I have succeeded. Now I am considering changing my division", said Inoue.