Monster Inoue lays waste to Rodriguez to become three-division champ

By Scott Shaffer

19/05/2019

Monster Inoue lays waste to Rodriguez to become three-division champ

Naoya Inoue TKO2 Emmanuel Rodriguez...  In Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday, Japan's Naoya Inoue put on about the most devastating performance possible for a boxer, destroying a previously unbeaten champion, Emmanuel Rodriguez in just two rounds.  Inoue scored three knockdowns in the second round against Rodriguez (19-1), a man who had never been down as a pro. The first knockdown was a left that bloodied Rodriguez's nose. The second was a body shot that left the Puerto Rican grimacing in pain. Rodriguez barely beat the count, and was quickly down for a third time. To Rodriguez's credit, he beat the count but clearly was in no shape to continue. Inoue (18-0) is now a legitimate three-division champion, as he adds Rodriguez's IBF 118-pound title to the WBC 108-pound and WBO 115-pound titles he previously won. (Forget about the WBA regular 118-pound title Inoue carried into the ring, it is a secondary, paper championship). With this performance, Inoue forced his way into pound-for-pound conversation. Certainly Inoue belongs in any legitimate top five pound-for-pound list. The win over Rodriguez moves Inoue into the finals of the World Boxing Super Series against the real WBA champion, future hall of famer Nonito Donaire.   source: dazn