An undisputed junior featherweight championship fight between Japanese star Naoya Inoue and Marlon Tapales is scheduled for Dec. 26 in Tokyo, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
Tapales’ manager Sean Gibbons said Thursday at the WBO convention in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, that the plan is for the Filipino boxer to put his IBF and WBA titles on the line against Inoue, holder of the WBC and WBO titles in 122 pounds.
Inoue, ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer, moved up to 122 pounds in July and scored a dominant eight-round TKO of Stephen Fulton to win a fourth-division title. “The Monster” then welcomed Tapales to the ring, paving the way for Inoue to challenge for another undisputed championship.
Inoue, 30, stopped Paul Butler in the penultimate round of their December fight for the undisputed 118-pound championship. Inoue (25-0, 22 KO) also won titles at 108 and 115 pounds.
Tapales (37-3, 19 KOs) appears to enter the ring as a heavy underdog. The southpaw, 31, upset Murodjon Akhmadaliev via split decision in April to become unified 122-pound champion, just like Inoue. Tapales was also the defending champion at 118 pounds.
