Naoya Inoue’s idea is to add to the long list of facts.
The Japanese knockout artist stopped fellow 118-pound title holder Paul Butler to win all four major belts Tuesday at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, becoming the first bantamweight and the first Japanese fighter of any weight.
“It’s been a long journey but… I finally did it. I was able to reach the top, trusting the champion,” Inoue said through an interpreter.
Butler (34-3, 15 KOs) didn’t allow Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs) to watch the show until the final moments, more because he didn’t want to shake than because he was able to.
The angler used his legs to stay away from the dangerous enemy at all costs and cowered like a cowering armadillo whenever he approached, which made Inoue’s mission difficult.
Inoue tried everything to open Butler up so he could land lethal punches, even putting his hands behind his back at one point.
Butler doesn’t really bite. He was more concerned about surviving than giving himself a real chance at winning the battle. So Inoue did what he could, which was that he was a butler, and wherever he could, he wore his arms, his gloves, and sometimes his body around the dog.
Finally, at the start of Cirque X, Inoue seemed to have had enough. He seemed to have resolved to desist from the prey, and when he had to do so he fought.
In the next round, he began to land more bouncy blows, which Butler, perhaps worn out, began to show signs of burnout.
The brutal end came when Inoue landed a vicious Right to the body, a left to the head, and what followed was a flurry that suddenly overwhelmed Butler with the pin on the canvas.
Lest the referee complete his count when he shakes off the fight. Of course the waiter finished.
The official stoppage time was 1:09 Round 11.
What next for Inoue?
The reigning champion will not be long uncertain: The three-division champion said he will now move up to 122 pounds to seek more challenges and titles in the fourth division.
That is not easy. Stephen Fulton, a two-time belt holder, an outstanding man, a more experienced and reliable boxer than Butler, is seen by some as a legitimate threat to Inoue.
Inoue punches much harder than Fulton, at least a pound for the pound. It will be seen whether his power in moving the weight is subject to it. At the same time Fulton might have had the advantage of being older.
You can bet Inoue would be favorite to win that or any other fight, though. Many people think that they are the best in the weight business. He showed us why one time on Tuesday.