BRIT star Paul Butler faces fearsome puncher Naoya Inoue in a huge undisputed fight TODAY.
Unbeaten Japanese sensation Inoue – who is Mike Tyson’s favourite boxer – holds the WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring bantamweight titles, with Cheshire ace Butler the WBO champ.
- Ring-walks: Approx 11am GMT
- UK TV channel: Not televised in UK
- US TV channel: ESPN+
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Inoue vs Butler – R2
Butler’s defence is watertight but even taking Inoue shots on the gloves and arms will be painful.
Inoue arrows a right to the Butler ribs again.
Butler tries a double-jab that Inoue doesn’t counter.
Inoue vs Butler – R1
Another one-two from Inoue blocked.
Solide defence from the brave Brit.
Inoue attacks the body but Butler’s ribs stand up to the early test.
Round 1 to Inoue.
Inoue vs Butler – R1
Butler jabs and bounces. Inoue stalks.
Inoue leaps in with a left hook that is blocked.
Violent two-punch attack from Inoue but Butler catches both shots on his high guard.
Anthem time
Not a single boo or jeer from the hyper-polite Japanese crowd.
Utterly stinks when Brit fans boo a visiting anthem and it happens regularly these days.
The arena is almost totally silent – a totally differnt vibe to UK shows.
Sweet Caroline a very distant memory – thank Christ.
Inoue It
The hometown hero gets the full treatment, lights and lazer show for his entrance.
Very well groomed eyebrows from the Monster – that face is no stranger to a pair of well-trained tweezers.
All of the belts on show as he stalks his way to the giant 22ft ring. The largest allowed.
Paul the other one
Scott Quigg walks Butler to the ring where Joe Gallagher will take charge of the Englishman’s corner.
I think the main ring walk was done to a Gerry Cinnamon track.
But I lost track of pop music around 2006 – just after the Pigeon Detectives really peaked.
Rocky Story
Paul Butler enters the arena to the Rocky ‘Eye of the Tiger’ theme tune.
I am not sure even Balboa took on a task as daunting as this.
An undefeated three-weight monster in his own backyard.
Happy Holiday?
Paul Butler has never boxed outside of the UK before.
His first foreign jaunt is to Tokyo to face the most terrifying thing to come out of Asia since covi… Godzilla.
The Ariake arena is about to host the showdown.
Top Rank?
The US broadcasters of this show just spent a large chunk of their build-up taling about Inoue’s HAIR COLOUR.
Not the amateur excellence, the freakish power, the three-weight dominance, the super-bantam plans…
He used to bleach his hair blonde but now it is his natural black colour!!
Puncher’s Chance?
The Monster is a 1-100 favourite for this fight – ridiculous odds for a two-horse race.
The most generous bookie online will let you back Butler at 48-1.
Would it be the greatest upset in British boxing history?
Monster vs Assassin
Cheshire’s Paul Butler, 34, goes by the Baby-Faced Assassin nickname.
But Inoue could easily take that away from him as he still has a teenage complexion, despite a lifetime in the ring.
Inoue is 23-0 with 20 KOs. Butleer is 34-2 with 15 KOs.
Bantam Bangers
The winner of this showdown will be the first four-belt undisputed bantamweight king.
Inoue says it was always a dream for him to be Japan’s first undisputed boss.
And he is expected to move up another division once he wins tonight.
Mainevent Mania
Five early finishes mean we are going to the bantamweight undispited headliner nice and earlier.
It’s Tuesday night in Tokyo and Naoya Inoue is getting ready for Paul Butler.
The undefeated Japan Monster has the WBC, WBA and IBF crowns.
Britain’s Butler has the WBO belt.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
