WBC Special Peview: #InoueButler
WBC STATISTICS
WBC / WBA / IBF / WBO Bantamweight World Championships
December 13, 2022 / Tokyo, Japan / Ariake Arena
OHASHI PROMOTION in association with PROBELLUM PRESENTS:
NAOYA “Monster” INOUE (Japan)
WBC Bantamweight World Champion, 1st title defense
IBF Bantamweight World Champion / WBA Bantamweight Super Champion
Age: 29 / Date of birth: April 10, 1993
Residence, birthplace: Zama, Kanagawa, Japan
Record: 23-0, 20 KOs / Total rounds: 127 / World championship fights: 18-0, 16 KOs
Height: 5’5″ – 165cm / Reach: 67.5″ – 171cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Sayuri Ohashi / Trainer: Shingo Inoue
PAUL “Baby Faced Assassin” BUTLER (United Kingdom)
WBO Bantamweight World Champion
Age: 34 / Date of birth: Nov. 11, 1988
Residence: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, United Kingdom / Birthplace: Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom
Record: 34-2, 15 KOs / Total rounds: 254 / World championship fights: 1-2, 0 KOs
Height: 5’6″ – 168cm / Reach: 65″ – 165cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager, trainer: Joe Gallagher
The latest edition of the famous green and gold WBC belt encapsulates the image of our great and forever remembered President Jose Sulaiman, The King of Boxing Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather as an homage to their illustrious career plus the pictures of the 2 Greatest WBC´s champions per division, who were of course chosen by boxing fans.
WBC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Eder Jofre (Brazil) 1963 – 1965
2. Masahiko Harada (Jap) 1965 – 1968
3. Lionel Rose (Aust) 1968 – 1969
4. Ruben Olivares (Mex) 1969 – 1970
5. Chucho Castillo (Mex) 1970 – 1971
6. Ruben Olivares (Mex) * 1971 – 1972
7. Rafael Herrera (Mex) 1972
8. Enrique Pinder (Pan) 1972
9. Rafael Herrera (Mex) * 1973 – 1974
10. Rodolfo Martinez (Mex) 1974 – 1976
11. Carlos Zarate (Mex) 1976 – 1979
12. Lupe Pintor (Mex) 1979 – 1982
13. Albert Davila (US) 1983 – 1984
14. Daniel Zaragoza (Mex) 1985
15. Miguel Lora (Col) 1985 – 1988
16. Raul Perez (Mex) 1988 – 1991
17. Greg Richardson (US) 1991
18. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) 1991 – 1993
19. Victor Rabanales (Mex) (Interim) 1992 – 1993
20. Jungil Byun (Kor) 1993
21. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) (Interim)* 1993 – 1994
22. Yasuei Yakushiji (Jap) 1993 – 1995
23. Wayne McCullough (Ire) 1995 – 1996
24. Sirimongkol Singmanassuk (Thai) 1996 – 1997
25. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Jap) * 1997 – 1998
26. Veeraphol Nakhonluang (Thai) 1998 – 2005
27. Hozumi Hasegawa (Japan) 2005 – 2010
28. Fernando Montiel (Mexico) 2010 – 2011
29. Nonito Donaire (Phil) 2011
30. Shinsuke Yamanaka (Japan) 2011 – 2017
31. Luis Nery (Mexico) 2017 – 2018
32. Takuma Inoue (Japan) Interim 2018
33. Nordine Oubaali (France) 2019 – 2021
34. Nonito Donaire (Phil)* 2021 – 2022
35. Naoya Inoue (Japan) 2022 –
*Regained
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY:
30 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, four of whom have regained the title: Ruben Olivares (Mexico), Rafael Herrera (Mexico), Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Japan) two times, Nonito Donaire.
138 bantamweight world title bouts have been held in WBC history.
WBC TOP 10 BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
1. Carlos Zarate (Mexico)
2. Eder Jofre (Brazil)
3. Ruben Olivares (Mexico)
4. Rafael Herrera (Mexico)
5. Veeraphol Nakhonluang (Thai)
6. Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Japan)
7. Jungil Byun (Korea)
8. Yasuei Yakushiji (Japan)
9. Hozumi Hasegawa (Japan)
10. Shinsuke Yamanaka (Japan)
MEMORABLE WBC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
June 7, 2022 Naoya Inoue TKO2 Nonito Donaire – Saitama, Japan
Dec. 11, 2021 Nonito Donaire KO4 Reymart Gaballo – Carson, California
May 29, 2021 Nonito Donaire KO4 Nordine Oubaali – Carson, California
Nov. 7, 2019 Nordine Oubaali W12 Takuma Inoue – Saitama, Japan
Jan. 19, 2019 Nordine Oubaali W12 Rau’Shee Warren – Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 15, 2017 Luis Nery KO4 Shinsuke Yamanaka – Kyoto, Japan
Sep. 22, 2015 Shinsuke Yamanaka W12 Anselmo Moreno – Tokyo, Japan
Nov. 6, 2011 Shinsuke Yamanaka TKO11 Christian Esquivel – Tokyo, Japan
Feb. 19, 2011 Nonito Donaire TKO2 Fernando Montiel – Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr. 30, 2010 Fernando Montiel TKO4 Hozumi Hasegawa – Tokyo, Japan
Apr. 16, 2005 Hozumi Hasegawa W12 Veeraphol Sahaprom – Tokyo, Japan
June 25, 2000 Veeraphol Sahaprom W12 Toshiaki Nishioka – Takasago, Japan
Aug. 10, 1996 Sirimongkol Singwancha TKO5 Jose Luis Bueno – Phitsanulok, Thailand
Jul. 30, 1995 Wayne McCullough W12 Yasuei Yakushiji – Nagoya, Japan
Sep. 17, 1992 Victor Rabanales TKO9 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi – Osaka, Japan
Sep. 19, 1991 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi TKO10 Greg Richardson – Moriguchi, Japan
Oct. 29, 1988 Raul Perez W12 Miguel Lora – Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 9, 1985 Miguel Lora W12 Daniel Zaragoza – Miami, Florida
June 3, 1979 Lupe Pintor W15 Carlos Zarate – Las Vegas, Nevada
May 8, 1976 Carlos Zarate KO9 Rodolfo Martinez – Inglewood, California
Dec. 7, 1974 Rodolfo Martinez TKO4 Rafael Herrera – Merida, Yucatan
Mar. 19, 1972 Rafael Herrera KO5 Ruben Olivares – Mexico City, Distrito Federal
Aug. 22, 1969 Ruben Olivares KO4 Lionel Rose – Inglewood, California
Mar. 8, 1969 Lionel Rose W15 Alan Rudkin – Melbourne, Australia
May 18, 1965 Fighting Harada W15 Eder Jofre – Nagoya, Japan
Apr. 4, 1963 Eder Jofre KO3 Katsutoshi Aoki – Kokugican, Japan
Missing jigsaw piece for Inoue or Butler
By James Blears
Naoya Inoue and Paul Butler fight at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on December 13th for the undisputed bantamweight title.
Undefeated Inoue (23-0, 20 KO´s) aged twenty nine is a three weight division champion. He currently and fruitfully holds the WBC, WBA (super) and IBF bantam Belts. Butler (34-2, 15 KO`s) aged thirty four is standing plum square in his way with the WBO version. It`s Paul`s first pro fight outside Britain, and it`ll be a baptism of fire, under fire in the magnificent Land of the Rising Sun. It`s going to be his High Noon showdown! The winner will be the first undisputed bantamweight champion since Enrique Pinder defeated Rafael Herrera in 1972.
An awesome task for Paul, which became even more daunting, after Naoya dispatched Nonito Donaire in just two rounds with two knockdowns in their rematch, after their overture classic in the World Boxing Super Series final, for the Muhammad Ali Trophy. In that first clash, everything jarringly altered, after an uncharacteristic lapse of concentration along the ropes by Naoya in round two. The Filipino Flash pounced on it in an instant, landing a mighty left hook, which simultaneously gashed Naoya`s right brow, fractured his eye socket and broke his nose. All that… with one punch!
Even though he was seeing double for the rest of the fight, his nose was dripping blood and his cut was weeping it, Naoya dug deep and deeper, retaliating in kind, by digging a crunching left to Nonito`s liver in round eleven. At the recent World Boxing Council Convention in Acapulco, Nonito confided it was by far the most painful punch he`d ever received, yet in the midst of his suffering ordeal, he somehow managed to withstand its hellacious shockwaves, gain precious seconds by staggering almost bent double to a place of his choosing, drop to the canvass, to then somehow get up before ten and fight on until the final bell yet lose a UD. Legendary Masahiko “Fighting” Harada presented Naoya with the Trophy.
The name Naoya means: Esteem, all the more and straight as an arrow.” Inoue`s more famous and ominous nickname is: “Monster,” and by George he`s earned it! Only three opponents have managed to go the distance with him, yet they all lost on points. Those who flinched, but didn`t wilt under fire are: Ryoichi Taguchi, David Carmona and Nonito Donaire, first time around.
Of this upcoming fight Naoya has clearly stated: “I want my name to go down in international boxing history and to change Japan`s boxing history.” He`s the only Japanese boxer in history to be ranked as the Best Pound For Pound by The Ring Magazine.
Paul Butler´s nickname is the rather dusty and overused: “Baby Faced Assassin.” From Ellesmere Port, a better nickname might have been: “Cheshire Cat,” immortalized with its broad grin, by Lewis Carroll in Alice`s Adventures in Wonderland. It smirked and suggested: “Imagination is the only weapon in the war with reality.”
Paul is much less fanciful and far more down to earth than that. He says: “I`m under no illusions as to the size of the task that faces me, but I`ve been going to bed, dreaming of becoming undisputed bantamweight champion of the world. Inoue is a phenomenal fighter, but not one person should underestimate me, my skills or my resolve.”
Paul won a split decision against Stuart Hall to win the IBF bantamweight title in 2014. Then Paul`s two losses were painful lessons, but he learned from them. The first was in 2015 against IBF bantamweight champion Zolani Tete, from Eastern Cape, South Africa. A pitch perfect rising left stab of a jutting uppercut from the gangling tall southpaw, dispatched and dropped him like a slab. He beat the count but pitched backwards and the Referee saved him at one minute thirty four seconds.
His second defeat was at the hands of Emmanuel Rodriguez for the vacant IBF bantamweight title three years later. In round one, Paul was dropped by a left hook and then again by a flurry. But he got up both times and fought on to lose a UD. What resolve and guts! Since then Paul has won eight times.
Rodriguez came badly unstuck against Inoue. He was stopped in round two, having been dropped three times, after making the fundamental mistake of trying to trade in a slugfest with a ring pirate swinging a cutlass. He now says: “I don`t believe Butler will last five rounds with Inoue.”
To his credit Paul has stuck to his task and he won a UD against Jonas Sultan for the vacant WBO Interim title. He was due to fight absolute champion John Riel Casimero who cancelled twice and was then stripped. So Paul was elevated to full champion.
Most opponents of Naoya Inoue are confounded by his speed, befuddled by his pinpoint accuracy, excruciatingly creased, folded and reduced to origami by his body attack, stunned by his left hooks and straight rights to the head and swiftly, rather than ultimately overwhelmed.
To defeat Naoya Inoue, Paul Butler must try to force him to retreat on the back foot, which he isn`t used to doing, as retreat isn`t part of his repertoire. He must try and reach into the typhoon while resisting its gusts and gusto. He must try to weather the ferocious initial onslaught and establish his own terms.
Few expect much of Paul except his team and himself and consequently some say there`s no pressure on him. This is palpably untrue. By going to Tokyo, he`s boldly marching into the lion`s den!
He himself states: “Inoue is one of the very best in the last twenty to thirty years. We`re all systems go. If I beat him in Japan, I believe it`ll be the best English boxing victory in history.”
This is in sync with the Sugar Ray Robinson philosophy. As a Walker, “Smitty” was convinced you must walk your talk. He said: “To be a champ, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.”
Paul Butler must serve up something hot and spicy and burn the palate, to stand a chance of victory against “The Monster.” A tale of the unexpected, to extinguish the firepower of “The Dragon.” No one could have put it better than the King of Cool Dean Martin, who liked a smoke.
Crooner and comedian Dean, an ex Black Jack dealer, who perfected the art of appearing drunk, but whose impeccable timing was fueled via ice water coursing through his veins drawled:
“When your opponent is sitting there holdin´ all the aces, there`s only one thing you can do. KICK OVER THE TABLE!
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