This Tuesday boxing fans will receive a rare treat in the weekday: two undefeated super bantamweights face off in Japan. At 122 pounds, these fighters will bring a mix of high speed and power to the ring in Ariake Arena, Tokyo, Japan via ESPN Plus. The long-anticipated bout between super-bantamweight stars and undefeated champions, Stephen Fulton and Naoya Inoue, is set to live up to high expectations after being delayed due to an Inoue injury.
After vacating the bantamweight belts, Inoue set a course for Fulton straight away. The highly anticipated match-up promises to be an intense, battle-of-the-best between two of the most skillful and powerful fighters in the sport.
At 21-0 with 8 KO’s, Stephen Fulton, the Philadelphia-born master of technique, will look to outbox and outmaneuver Inoue, while Inoue (24-0) will look to use his powerful combination of impressive ability, speed, and 1-2 punching technique, to overwhelm his opponent. The fighters promise to deliver an electrifying match with Inoue being the favorite due to his power advantage at 3 to 1.
The challenger moving up in weight is Naoya Inoue (born April 10, 1993), Japan’s Number 1 boxer, and has already made history once by becoming the undisputed bantamweight champion of the world. That win cements Inoue’s place as one of the greatest bantamweight boxers of all-time and capped off an incredible 2019 for him.
The first fight with Nonito Donaire was highly regarded, but his once highly anticipated showdown with Nonito Donaire, was much more definitive in favor of Inoue. A full KO that was difficult for Donaire fans to watch as Naoya ripped shots through the body and head to take his belt at super bantamweight.
Cool Boy Steph – Hand Wrap Controversy
During one of the press conferences, Fulton’s coach threatened to withdraw Fulton from the match if Inoue’s hand wraps were not up to par with so-called American standards. Often times, some fighters wrap their hands to create an increase in density around the knuckle area. However, Inoue simply tapes/wraps his hands in accordance to Japanese boxing standards.
For many, the entire controversy may be to mentally tax Inoue and make Fulton a victim in the eyes of unsuspecting American audiences:
Wearing hand wraps properly can be the difference between winning and losing in a boxing match. Hand wraps are an essential piece of equipment worn by all boxers, as they provide support for the wrists, knuckles, and fingers and help protect the boxers’ hands from any potential injury. They also act as a way to help maintain a better grip while punching, thus allowing the boxer to get more power and accuracy with their strikes. Properly wrapped hands are also better suited to disperse the shock of punches, thus preventing more serious injury in the long run. However, too much gauze, too much wrap and padding can act as a substitute for power because the gauze hardens under very specific conditions, but this is not the case for most handwrap conventions and commissions disagree on what causes a handwrap to be ‘unfair’. Like with instant replay, 3 knockdown rule, handwraps differ from commission to commission, globally and regionally.