This is Rummy’s Corner.
Coming up on May 7 in Japan, former undisputed world bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue will
challenge the unified WBO/WBC junior bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton. This one is a spectacular
match-up, and both boxers deserve tremendous credit for making it happen, with The Monster
challenging for the unified championship in his first bout at 122, and Cool Boy Steph traveling
to Japan in his opponent’s home country. There is a lot to be excited about for this
championship bout between two prime undefeated prizefighters, and this one could potentially
become a Fight of the Year caliber contest. The Monster will have recently turned 30 years
old by the time the fight happens, and Inoue is already a 3-division world champion,
winning titles at junior flyweight, junior bantamweight, and bantamweight. Last
December Inoue became the first undisputed world bantamweight champion during the modern 4-belt
era. Inoue was likewise the first undisputed world bantamweight champion since way back in the 2-belt
era nearly 50 years ago. That journey began when Inoue made his bantamweight debut in May 2018,
where he competed for 4 and a half years, compiling a perfect 9-0 record with 8 of those
9 wins coming by way of knockout. Inoue earned the bantamweight alphabet belts one by one to obtain
undisputed supremacy, marking him as one of the greatest bantamweights this century, perhaps the
greatest, and certainly the most accomplished. Cool Boy Steph is 28 years old, and he is the
unified champion who has been on an outstanding run in recent years where he really appears to
be coming into his own. In January 2021, Fulton beat Angelo Leo by 12 round unanimous decision to
win the WBO junior featherweight belt. Then in November 2021, Fulton had a grueling encounter in
a unification bout against Brandon Figueroa, where Fulton won a 12 round majority decision to capture
the WBC belt. Most recently, last June, Fulton defended his unified championship when he won a 12
round unanimous decision against Daniel Roman. And here we are! So who will win the big
junior featherweight showdown between Cool Boy Steph and The Monster?
I think interpreting this match-up largely boils down to the 3 S’s - Size, Skills, and Styles.
Size! This will be the first fight Inoue has had north of 118, and this is (at least on paper) an
advantage for the champion. I remember when Inoue first made the jump up to bantamweight,
thinking he looked very small at 118, and I wondered if that might not be his ceiling in terms
of how many divisions he could eventually climb. But as it turned out, Inoue filled in the weight
very nicely during his time there. And even when he did debut there looking smallish in my opinion,
it didn’t ultimately matter because his power clearly carried up. And that is one of the big
questions here. How will Inoue’s power carry up to 122, and how will he stand up to quick powerful
punches from a naturally bigger boxer? Skills! Both boxers are highly skilled
with incredible athleticism, they both have superb speed, brilliant timing,
and a supreme understanding of range. Cool Boy and The Monster both have ample variety on offense,
they are both outstanding body punchers, and each man is defensively responsible enough with proven
durability when it comes to withstanding big punches and/or prolonged accumulative punishment.
Inoue has two-handed power upstairs and down, and he is very clever at finding ways to create
favorable angles to unload that ferocious power. Fulton possesses very good all around movement,
where he tends to be more of a boxer who generally works behind a nice jab. Both boxers are capable
of throwing fast, accurate combinations. Styles! This one represents an utterly
fascinating clash of styles, where each boxer has a particular set of skills and attributes that
compliment their respective strengths, but their styles are of the contrasting variety where each
has a very different approach, with Inoue being more methodical and subtle with his approach,
whereas Fulton has more of a reactionary and adaptive approach that generally includes
flashier movement, general all around slickness, and versatility. In short, Inoue is a boxer with
a powerhouse offense who is looking to overpower his opponent through brute force, whereas Fulton
is more of an all around boxer who is looking to outmaneuver his opponent. But at the same time,
Inoue has incredible boxing skills in his own right, and while not a huge puncher, Fulton has
enough pop to earn the respect of an opponent. How this clash of styles will actually play out is
tough to gauge with any certainty, but I think one of the big keys is the battle of footwork. Both
of them have excellent footwork, and it stems back to Inoue looking to overpower opponents
and Fulton looking to outmaneuver them, and each boxer’s footwork plays to that end game. Fulton is
flashier with his more pronounced footwork, where he has a jazzy edge to his footwork that works in
conjunction with his head and upper body movement. Inoue’s footwork is more nuanced and subtle and
econmical, but it is very effective, and helps him create the type of angles where he can deliver his
power with menacing force and accuracy. Whoever’s footwork is more effective on fight
night will undoubtedly have a big advantage. Winning that battle of footwork will have a
profound impact on the bigger war inside the ring. If Fulton can stay off the ropes, and keep things
near center ring and away from the edges, then he may be able to seize a tactical advantage
where he will have a better chance at effectively neutralizing the potent offense of The Monster.
But if Inoue’s more subtle footwork allows him to consistently dictate the fighting range on or
very near the ropes and the corners, this could provide a big edge for Inoue. Although again,
this isn’t to say that Inoue is ineffective at center ring, nor is it to say that Fulton is
ineffective off the ropes. Neither is true. And that is where heart, determination, and a
sheer will to win comes into play, and again, at least in my opinion, both champions possess these
attributes in great abundance. The prime examples are Inoue’s first bout against Nonito Donaire,
and then the fight between Fulton and Figueroa. In each example, Inoue and Fulton both had to dig
deep. Inoue was unable to simply overpower Donaire the way he was able to with so many previous foes,
and Fulton had great difficulty outmaneuvering Figueroa, whose constant pressure was creating a
lot of problems for Fulton. Inoue and Fulton both proved to have a big heart against Donaire and
Figueroa, respectively. And both of them emerged victorious in the face of a sturdy challenge.
I honestly believe this is going to be a great entertaining fight,
that will be highly competitive, and that it will likely deserve legit demand for a rematch. As for
who I believe will win, I tend to believe that Inoue will win the battle of footwork slightly
more often than not, and while I think Fulton will prove to be innovative and resourceful
whenever he finds himself pinned or cornered, I think the slight edge in footwork will prove
difficult to overcome. Beyond that, I think Inoue tends to be more selective and less reactive with
almost everything he does inside the ring, and I believe that combined with slightly more effective
footwork will tip things in his favor. Fulton is, generally speaking, far less selective and
more adaptive - and sooner or later, I think that will result in the type of mistakes that
Inoue will exploit and make him pay for. For my official prediction, I am taking The
Monster by 12 round unanimous decision. I think things will be fairly even by the halfway point,
where Inoue clearly builds momentum in the second half of the fight. But I think Fulton has enough
heart and determination, along with enough resourcefulness and cleverness that he will
see the final bell in a brave losing effort. So I like Naoya Inoue by 12 round unanimous decision,
but then again, what the hell do I know? I ain’t exactly Quasimodo over here,
and my track record of fight predictions is certainly less than stellar.
But whatever happens, I am most certainly fired-up for this one,
and may the best man win on that night! So who do YOU think will win the junior
featherweight showdown between Cool Boy Steph and The Monster?? Please share
your thoughts in the comment section. Thank you very much for watching everyone,
I hope you enjoyed, and have a wonderful night! This is Rummy’s Corner.