Pictured: Naoya "Monster" Inoue


Earlier today at the Super Arena in Saitama, Saitama, Japan, future Hall of Famer Naoya Inoue stopped future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire in the second round to win the vacant lineal World bantamweight title. On the same card, Naoya's brother, Takuma, unanimously outpointed veteran junior featherweight Gakuya Furuhashi over 12 rounds.

"Monster" also successfully defended The Ring, WBA Super, and IBF titles and won the WBC and vacant Transnational Boxing Rankings Board titles. He floored Donaire twice on his way to becoming the first lineal World bantamweight king since Bernardo Pinango voluntarily relinquished the crown to campaign as a junior featherweight in 1987.

Takuma successfully defended the WBO Asia Pacific junior featherweight title and took the Japanese super bantamweight title from Furuhashi.


Vacant Lineal, Vacant Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and The Ring World Bantamweight Titles-
The Ring Champion Naoya Inoue (TTR #1, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #1; TTR #2 P4P, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #2 P4P, The Ring #3 P4P; 23-0, 20 KOs)
TKO-2 1:24
Nonito Donaire (The Ring #1, TTR #2, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #2; 42-7, 28 KOs)
- This bout was also for Inoue's IBF World and WBA Super World and Donaire's WBC World bantamweight titles.
- Inoue decked Donaire late in round 1 and dropped him again in round 2.

Junior Featherweight Bout-
Takuma Inoue (The Ring #5 at 118; TTR #8, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board #8- both at 122; 16-1, 3 KOs)
Unan. Dec. 12
Gakuya Furuhashi (28-9-2, 16 KOs)
- This bout was for Inoue's WBO Asia Pacific junior featherweight title and Furuhashi's Japanese super bantamweight title.
- The scores were 119-109, 120-108, and 120-108.