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One of the biggest stars in boxing will fight for the status of undisputed bantamweight champion on December 13. In Naoya Inoue’s way is the game Paul Butler.
Inoue’s WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring titles and Butler’s WBO bantamweight title will be on the line. The fight takes place inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
A three-division champion, Inoue started his dominance at bantamweight in 2018, when he beat Jamie McDonnell for the WBA (Regular) title. He beat Emmanuel Rodriguez and Nonito Donaire in 2019 in the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament to win the IBF, The Ring, and WBA (Super) titles. Inoue beat Donaire in a rematch in June for the WBC belt.
Since signing with Top Rank in 2020, Inoue has won four in a row. If he was to win and become undisputed champion, “The Monster” could end up facing the likes of Stephen Fulton in another weight class.
“Having all four belts will prove that I am the number one bantamweight, so for me this belt is very necessary,” Inoue stated before fight night, via The Sports Inquirer. “When I have all four belts then I will decide what comes next, whether that means moving up to super bantamweight or whatever.”
MORE: Sign up to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler, exclusively on ESPN+
Butler made his pro debut in 2010. In 2014 he won the IBF bantamweight title against Stuart Hall. After losing against Emmanuel Rodriguez for the IBF bantamweight title in 2018, Butler has won eight in a row. In April, Butler beat Jonas Sultan for the then-interim WBO bantamweight title.
Despite being the big underdog, Butler is confident in his ability. He thrives on proving people wrong.
“I know I’m the big underdog, and I know every single one of them in that crowd will be cheering for Inoue,” Butler told The Sporting News. “But in a weird way, I love that, I thrive off that. I don’t mind going into the lion’s den and putting on a show.
“I watched Inoue before we were linked to him. Most of his fights are in Japan, and the fans are respectful. There’s a lot more clapping, it’s not like the English and the Brits, they’re all nuts back home and make a big atmosphere out of it. The [Japanese fans] are all sat down, they’re all clapping when their man’s doing what he does. It’s my job to silence them.”
The Sporting News will provide live results and highlights for Inoue vs. Butler. Stay tuned!
MORE: How to bet Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler live results, updates
Round 2: Inoue shoots some brutal shots to the body as he cuts off the ring and repeatedly makes Butler use his footwork to try and get his back off the ropes. The Englishman then throws two left hooks, but they fail to find their target with Inoue proving elusive.
Round 1: Inoue stalks Butler around the ring sticking out the lead left jab and drawing a round of applause from the crowd with every power shot he throws.
A strong first round for the favourite with Butler clearly worried about Inoue’s power and offering very little on offence.
7:54pm: Both Inoue and Butler have made their way to the ring with the fight about to get underway!
Heading into the main event shortly!@trboxing @ESPNRingside #InoueButler
— Jamel Herring (@JamelHerring) December 13, 2022
7:22 pm: Naoya Inoue is up next against Paul Butler in the main event with the undisputed title up for grabs.
The Monster is up next 👹@NaoyaInoue_410 x #InoueButler pic.twitter.com/qGwnopZ9MM
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 13, 2022
Andy Hiraoka drops Min Ho Jun to maintain perfect record
Round 8: Hiraoka looks to maintain the pace he set at the end of the last round and backs Jung into the corner. The South Korean escapes but is dropped to his knees with an uppercut out of nowhere!
From there, Jung is quickly put away as Hiraoka sends him crashing to the canvas again with another heavy uppercut followed by a left hook.
Hiraoka claiming his eighth TKO victory in a row, while improving his record to 22-0.
.@Andy_H888‘s KO made his opponent do a 180 ↩️👀#InoueButler x @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/RBeK2USz0J
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 13, 2022
Round 7: Jung sits down on a right hand, before Hiraoka answers with a stiff jab to the chin. He then lands a rare body shot to the midriff. It’s a strong round for Hiraoka who senses Jung slowing down.
Round 6: Jung’s wild forays forward are starting to get punished with Hiraoka finding his range. Although the fight is temporarily stopped when a low blow collects Jung.
The crowd have been dead silent up until this point, and Jung implores them to make some noise upon the resumption. He goes head-hunting without success with some looping hooks.
Round 5: Hiraoka tags Jung early with a powerful right hand and he then steps into a left. The best round of the fight so far is capped when Hiraoka sends one straight down main street which stops Jung in his tracks momentarily.
Round 4: Jung is more aggressive as Hiraoka seems content to bide his time. He lets loose with an uppercut when Jung charges in but collects nothing but fresh air.
Round 3: Jung having issues on his feet as he slips twice on the canvas. Both men continue to feint and weave through the occasional jab.
Round 2: The feeling out period continues before Jung explodes with some wild shots. He slips though during his spring forward and nothing really lands.
Round 1: Patient start from both who are trying to work out the game plans of their opponent and establish their jabs.
6:36pm: Andy Hiraoka, who is undefeated in 21 fights, puts his WBO Asia Pacific super-lightweight strap on the line against Min Ho Jun in the co-main event.
Yoshiki Takei defends his title with comfortable victory over Bruno Tarimo
6:25pm: The referee and doctor have seen enough with the fight being called a TKO victory for Takei in round 11.
It’s anti-climactic, but there can be no arguments after Tarimo was ultimately outclassed by the Japanese star who had had more power and better shot selection from the outside.
Takei improves to 6-0, while maintaining his impressive record of having finished all of his boxing fights so far in his career.
Doctor stoppage halts the action in the 11th ❌#InoueButler x @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/jlhx3KRIgW
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 13, 2022
6:18pm: “Stop jabbing and throw more punches, Bruno!” Tarimo’s trainer screams as it gets to desperation stakes.
He is unable to piece together any meaningful combinations though, with Takei throwing out the jab and keeping him at bay.
6:13pm: Takei gets his second wind and becomes the aggressor as he takes control of the centre of the ring. Both men look weary heading into the final three rounds, but Tarimo needs to go for broke now.
6:09pm: Tarimo puts together a combination to the body with Takei resting against the ropes. He’s feeling the pressure from Tarimo’s relentless chasing with his output grinding to a halt in round eight.
Takei is pinned into the corner and is on the receiving end of some short hooks from close range. Meanwhile, Tarimo’s trainer – who has been vocal all fight – screams for shots to the liver.
6:00pm: Halfway through the 12 round contest and Takei has locked into a rhythm. He’s dancing around the outside and picking his shots with uppercuts peppering Tarimo, who keeps trying to cut the ring off with diminishing success.
Tarimo keeps pressing, but Takei is beginning to look comfortable with his hands low and content to wait for his opportunities to open up.
5:50pm: Tarimo’s knees are buckled when a left hook from off the back foot stops his charge forward. Yet he continues to try and back Takei into corners. It’s been a scrappy affair across the first three rounds.
5:45pm: Neither man has been able to land any significant shots in the early rounds, with Tarimo finally managing to close the distance and make things uncomfortable for Takei in tight.
5:43pm: A wild first round comes to an end as Takei sports a cut on his eye after a clash of heads but does score a knockdown against his opponent.
Acá, el corte que preocupa a Yoshiki Takei,
🔥 EN VIVO 🔥 por #ESPNKnockOut
📺 @StarPlusLA #InoueButler pic.twitter.com/n0ep6eTp2c
— ESPN KnockOut (@ESPNKnockOut) December 13, 2022
He adopts a wide stance to start proceedings and causes plenty of issues with his striking from range.
Tarimo – fighting out of Queensland – is not winning many fans in his corner with his trainer repeatedly calling for him to go inside of Takei’s range.
Starting quick! Takei catches Tarimo in RD 1 👀#InoueButler x @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/SLhTCEktL7
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 13, 2022
5:30pm: Takei puts his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super-bantamweight title on the line against Bruno ‘The Terminator’ Tarimo.
Takei, the former kickboxer, has made quite a name for himself in his burgeoning boxing career having racked up an unbeaten 5-0 record all via TKO’s.
Takuma Inoue defeats Jake Bornea via TKO in round eight
5:17pm: The referee calls time as the doctor checks Bornea’s cuts that are pouring blood in round eight. He is allowed to continue, but shortly afterwards the ref stops the action, and he isn’t so lucky the second time as the fight is called off.
Bornea has no complaints and lifts Inoue up in the middle of the ring. A dominant performance from the young star who improves his record to 17-1.
.@TakumaInoue_122 gets it done ✅#InoueButler x @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/dt4uncBTuz
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 13, 2022
5:10pm: A cut opens up above Bornea’s left eye, forcing him to lift his levels of aggression as he chases the fight for the first time since round one. However, Inoue’s ability to find a home for three and four punch combinations pick the advances off easily before a clash of heads accentuates the cut on Bornea.
5:00pm: Looping left hooks from Takuma find their mark early with both men then trading vicious body shots in the second round.
Bornea is guilty of leaning on his backfoot too much and waiting to counter Inoue’s flurry of punches. The Pilipino fighter switches his stance from orthodox to southpaw after being troubled by the crisp jab.
Bornea’s output slowing down halfway through the fight, with Inoue throwing some hooks to the body that is creasing his opponent.
4:40 pm [local time]: We’re underway at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo with Naoya Inoue’s younger brother, Takuma, taking on Jake Bornea. Both men have made their way to the ring with the fight scheduled for 10 rounds in the bantamweight division.
Who’s up with us watching #InoueButler? 👑
Action begins NOW @ESPNPlus! pic.twitter.com/wM50ehXCj7
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) December 13, 2022
Earlier in the night, Peter McGrail continued his impressive run to make it six fights undefeated since making his debut last year. The loss condemning his opponent, Hironori Miyake, to a seventh-straight loss.
Tokyo Olympian and undefeated super-bantamweight prospect @Peter_McGrail becomes just the second man to stop Hironori Miyake with a second round TKO on the #InoueButler undercard in Japan 💥#PeterMcGrail #BoxingFans #BoxingNews pic.twitter.com/aImUpNYT81
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) December 13, 2022
When is Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler?
- Date: Tuesday, December 13
- Start time: 5:30 a.m. ET | 10:30 a.m. GMT | 9:30 p.m. AEDT | 7:30 p.m. JST
- Main event: 7:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. GMT | 11:30 p.m. AEDT | 9:30 p.m. JST (approx.)
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler takes place on December 13. The main card starts at 5:30 a.m. ET | 10:30 a.m. GMT | 9:30 p.m. AEDT | 7:30 p.m. JST. Inoue and Butler should make their way to the ring around 7:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. GMT | 11:30 p.m. AEDT | 9:30 p.m. JST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler
Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
United States | Tues. Dec 13 | ESPN+ |
Japan | Tues. Dec 13 | dTV, Hikari TV |
United Kingdom | Tues. Dec 13 | TBA |
Australia | Tues. Dec 13 | Kayo |
In the United States, Inoue vs. Butler is available on ESPN+. In Japan, it is available via dTV and Hikari TV.
In Australia, you can watch the fight via Kayo.
MORE: Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler purse, salaries
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler price: How much will the fight cost?
You can pay $9.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $99.99.
Product | Prices |
---|---|
ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
MORE: Sign up to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler, exclusively on ESPN+
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler fight card
- Naoya Inoue (c) vs. Paul Butler (c) for the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring bantamweight titles
- Yoshiki Takei (c) vs. Bruno Tarimo for the OBPF super-bantamweight title
- Andy Hiraoka (c) vs. Min Ho Jung for the WBO Asia Pacific super-lightweight title
- Satoshi Shimizu (c) vs. Landy Cris Leon for the OPBF featherweight title
- Takuma Inoue vs. Jake Bornea
- Hironori Miyake vs. Peter McGrail