Two-belt super bantamweight champ Marlon Tapales is starting his preparations for the December planned unification showdown with Naoya Inoue early. The 31 year old southpaw from the Philippines touched down in L.A today, with the 37-3(19) operator to train at Knuckleheads Gym in Las Vegas.
Tapales is confident he can topple “”The Monster” and take the Japanese superstar’s two 122 pound belts and become unified champion at the weight. Tapales is a good fighter, he can punch and he has proven toughness. Still, most fans and experts see another victory for the unbeaten, 25-0(21) Inoue.
The exact date of the four-belt fight (which will be just Inoue’s second fight in the weight division) is yet to be confirmed, as is the venue. But Tapales is talking a great fight, as he has been doing since Inoue’s brilliant and commanding win over Stephen Fulton. As flawless as Inoue really did look in his 122 pound debut, Tapales thinks he has seen things in Inoue’s game that he can and will exploit.
Tapales, who says he “fully comprehends the magnitude of this fight,” says he has total faith in his ring skills and that he will “leave everything in the ring to prove that I am the best in the division.”
This one could be a firefight while it lasts, or on the other hand we could see another clinic from the masterful, he seems to have zero weaknesses Inoue.
If – some will say when – Inoue defeats Tapales and thus becomes unified world ruler in another weight division, will this be enough to see “The Monster” pick up The Fighter of the Year award for 2023? Of course, a lot could happen in the ring between now and the end of the year, but Inoue, should he defeat Tapales, will likely be the pick to win the distinction in the minds of many fight fans.
Two fights, four belts won! Inoue may prove to have himself a truly great 2023. Marlon Tapales, however, sees another picture.