Naoya Inoue posing with his world title belts with Paul Butler flashed in the background screen. | Photo from Inoue’s official Twitter page.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The much-awaited showdown between unbeaten Japanese Naoya “Monster” Inoue and British world champion Paul “Baby Faced Assassin” Butler will happen on December 13 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Probellum, Butler’s main promoter announced this on Thursday, October 13, 2022.
The fight is co-promoted by Ohashi Promotion and Teiken Promotions in association with Probellum.
Inoue and Butler’s showdown will be one of the biggest bouts of the year.
The 29-year-old Inoue is infamously known in the Philippines as the bane for many Filipino boxers including former WBC world bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire, whom he knocked out last June 7, 2022, at the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Inoue has a pristine record of 23 wins with 20 knockouts and is one title away from becoming the undisputed world bantamweight champion.
He currently holds the IBF, WBC, WBA regular, and WBA super world bantamweight titles.
Meanwhile, Butler earned the WBO world bantamweight strap after being elevated as the regular champion after Filipino Johnriel Casimero was stripped of the title.
The WBO found out that Casimero illegally shed weight through visits to the sauna a week before his bout with Butler in April of 2022.
Butler, instead fought and defeated another Filipino, Jonas Sultan via unanimous decision in Liverpool, England to defend his newly-earned world title.
“I’ve been boxing for over 20 years and all the successes and setbacks have led me here, to the biggest fight of my career, with the biggest prize in the sport on offer,” said Butler in a press release from Probellum.
“I am under no illusions as to the size of the task that faces me, but I have been going to bed dreaming of becoming the undisputed bantamweight champion of the world. Inoue is a phenomenal fighter but not one person should be underestimating me, my skills, or my resolve. I am going to Japan to write my name into the history of our sport.” /rcg
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