Naoya Inoue Vs. Marlon Tapales: Where To Watch Information
Naoya Inoue takes on Marlon Tapales on December 26, 2023, for the right to become the new undisputed super bantamweight champion.
Inoue arrives into the fight with an undefeated record of 25-0, with 22 KOs. His last fight was an impressive knockout of Stephen Fulton to secure the WBO and WBC belts at super bantamweight. A victory makes Inoue undisputed in a second weight class, a feat Terence Crawford has only achieved in the four-belt era after his accomplishments at 140 and 147. Inoue knows what it takes, having achieved this at bantamweight to become the first person in the four-belt era.
Tapales enters the fight with an upset on his mind. He beat Murodjon Akhmadaliev to secure the IBF and WBA belts as he aims to give Inoue the first defeat of his career. If Inoue comes through with a win, there is a high chance he could move up in weight. But there are question marks over how far he can move up. He is already a four-division champion, which is why the fight is pivotal for his next steps. As for Tapales, a win would be the biggest upset of the year, leaving him with nothing to lose. With that being said, here is everything you need to know about where you can watch the fight.
Inoue Vs. Tapales Info
Date: Tuesday, December 26
Time: 10 a.m. UK / 5 a.m. ET
Main event ringwalks: 12 p.m. UK / 7 a.m. ET
Location: Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Network: U.S. ESPN+
Network: UK: Sky Sports
Pre-Fight Comments
“What scares me the most is people around me think it will be an easy fight. For this fight I am dealing with a different training regiment, making adjustments, and building up an image in my mind of myself as a boxer who is dexterous and can do anything. I improved a lot, and worked on counters against Tapales. We had very good training sessions and we have made it to this point. However, I am still afraid of having the feeling that Tapales will take a shot at me. So I will be very careful about that. I’ll be very cautious,” Inoue said
“I’m confident not because of the weight and division but because of my training. That’s why I know I have an advantage against Inoue. I didn’t see the true Inoue in his fight against Fulton. When he fought Donaire the first time, that’s the Inoue I’m preparing for because for me, that’s when he was at his best,” Tapales stated
Full Card
Naoya Inoue vs. Marlon Tapales – WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF world super bantamweight titles
Seiya Tsutsumi vs. Kazuki Anaguchi – Bantamweight
Kanamu Sakama vs. John Paul Gabunilas – Flyweight
Yoshiki Takei vs. Mario Diaz Maldonado – Super bantamweight
Andy Hiraoka vs. Sebastian Diaz Maldonado – Super lightweight
Suguru Ishikawa vs. Fuga Uematsu – Featherweight
Rikiya Sato vs. Keisuke Endo – Super featherweight
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