For the first time in five decades, there will be an undisputed bantamweight champion in men’s boxing. Naoya Inoue and Paul Butler have agreed to fight for the undisputed bantamweight title on December 13, 2022 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
“I want to etch my name in the history of boxing and change the history of the Japanese boxing world,” Inoue said at a press conference earlier this week.
“For the next two months, I want to do what I can and get in the ring. [Butler] is a very well-rounded fighter with no holes. The perception is that I will weaken him little by little with my own boxing and knock him out. I want to overwhelm [Butler] with my power to unify the four titles.”
Ranked by many media outlets as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Inoue enters the fight as a heavy favorite. However, Butler believes that he has what it takes to get the job done.
“He hits very hard but what’s the worst that can happen? He knocks me out. I’ve been stopped before and let me make it clear, I will be going into that fight believing I can win. I will be walking to the ring believing, as I always do, that I can win the fight and become the undisputed bantamweight champion of the world,” Butler said in June.
If Butler wins, a rematch with Inoue would be imminent. However, Inoue would likely move up to the 122-pound division if he wins. Similar to the 118-pound division, unified 122-pound champions Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Stephen Fulton Jr. are hoping to fight in the near future. As a result, a bout between two undisputed champions could very well be on the horizon.
