Takuma Inoue will make the first defense of his WBA bantamweight belt against Jerwin Ancajas of the Philippines on November 15th in Kokujikan, Japan. The bout was officially announced and will headline a show which will also have a clash between WBA flyweight champion Artem Dalakian and mandatory challenger Seigo Yuri Akui. Inoue defeated Liborio Solis in his most recent fight on April 8th to win the vacant title and become world champion. After a break, he is ready for his first defense against an experienced opponent and at home. The Filipino Ancajas had a long reign (2016-2022) as IBF 115-pound champion and now he will take on a challenge by moving up in class aiming to win a belt again. The 31-year-old veteran has always been a man of challenge and wants to damage the home fighter’s party. Inoue has a record of 18 wins, no losses and 4 knockouts, while Ancajas comes in with a record of 34 wins, 3 losses, 2 draws and 23 knockouts.
BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP PICTURE
IBF / AUG. 13, 2023 ... Emmanuel Rodriguez became a two-time IBF bantamweight champion Saturday night, securing a unanimous decision over Melvin Lopez at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland. The Puerto Rican Rodriguez (22-2, 13 KOs) sustained swelling over his right eye in the second round of the twelve-round battle. Even though the eye ballooned as the fight wore on, he outclassed Lopez to the tune of 120-105 scores from all three judges.
WBC / JULY 30, 2023: Four-division world champion Nonito Donaire’s heart and experience were on full display tonight at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena on the Spence-Crawford undercard. Unfortunately for the Filipino legend, those attributes were not enough to overcome the younger, stronger and fresher Mexican, Alexandro Santiago, in their battle for the vacant WBC bantamweight world title. The WBC’s 118-pound strap was vacated by “The Monster” Naoya Inoue, who moved up to super bantamweight to defeat Stephen Fulton earlier this week in Japan.
WBO / MAY 14, 2023: Jason "Mayhem" Moloney (26-2, 19 KOs) captured the vacant WBO bantamweight title with a majority decision win against Filipino puncher Vincent Astrolabio (18-4, 13 KOs). This was one of the four titles vacated by Naoya Inoue, the world champion who moved up to 122 pounds last year (but has yet to fight in his new weight division). Moloney boxed intelligently to prevent Astrolabio’s ever-present power from hurting him. Astrolabio had some success in cutting the distance in the early rounds, but by the middle rounds, the 32-year-old native of Melbourne, Australia, began easily controlling the fight with constant footwork and jabs. Despite a seemingly clear Moloney win, one judge scored the fight 114-114. That score was overruled by scores of 115-113 and 116-112 for Moloney, who will return home as champion.
WBA / APRIL 8, 2023: Japan's Takuma Inoue followed in his brother's footsteps by winning the vacant WBA bantamweight championship against 41 year-old Venezuelan Liborio Solis in Tokyo on Saturday. Inoue won by unanimous decision, claiming one of the four belts that Naoya Inoue put up for grabs when Naoya decided to move up to the super bantamweight division. Takuma Inoue won the bout despite a cut over his left eye that was accidentally inflicted in the fifth round. Takuma is now 18-1 with the lone loss coming against Nourdine Oubaali in 2019. Solis, a former 115-poud champion is now 35-7-1. He had a huge victory in Japan when he won the WBA 115-pound title against Kohei Kono in 2013, but his last four fights came against weak opposition.
WORLD TITLE VACATED / JAN. 13, 2023: World 118-pound champion Naoya Inoue announced that he will make the jump to the super bantamweight division in his next fight and, therefore, will vacate his 118-pound titles. Inoue held all four major titles, which means his announcement will create championship opportunities for up to eight bantamweights. The WBA reports that at a press conference held in Yokohama, Japan, "Monster" Inoue told the press that he will be looking for new challenges in his career after having dominated the bantamweight division. The 29 year-old Japanese star stressed that he is in the process of adapting to his new weight and that he is already looking for the best opponents in the category to face them.
WORLD TITLE UNIFIED / DEC. 13, 2022: In Japan,
Naoya Inoue became the four-belt, undisputed world bantamweight champion by
knocking out Paul Butler in the eleventh round. According to Compubox, it was a one-sided drubbing in which Inoue outlanded Butler 151 punches to 38. Inoue is now 24-0, while Butler returns to England with a record of 34-3.
