Boxing fight updates and results today

Naoya Inoue and Marlon Tapales go head to head in Tokyo today, with each man looking to emerge as the undisputed super-bantamweight champion.

Inoue became a four-weight champion in July, when he obliterated Stephen Fulton to win the WBC and WBO super-bantamweight belts, and now, the Japanese superstar is targeting Tapales’s WBA and IBF titles.

If Inoue is victorious, he will become just the second man ever to reign as undisputed champion in two divisions; the “Monster” previously held all the major belts at bantamweight, after spells as a world champion at super-flyweight and light-flyweight.

The unbeaten 30-year-old will be the favourite against Tapales, 31, though the Filipino is no pushover. Then again, the same has been said of many of Inoue’s opponents, only for the pound-for-pound talent to dismantle them with ease.

Follow live updates and results, below.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE

• Naoya Inoue and Marlon Tapales clash in undisputed title fight in Tokyo, Japan

• Inoue won WBC and WBO super-bantamweight belts from Stephen Fulton in July

• Filipino Tapales puts WBA and IBF titles on the line in Inoue’s home country

• Unbeaten Inoue was previously undisputed at bantamweight, and held titles in two other divisions

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE

12:11 , Alex Pattle

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE

11:55 , Alex Pattle

Inoue: “First of all, I would like to give a big shoutout to Marlon Tapales for taking this fight with me. Secondly, I would like to thank everyone who supported me and made this fight happen.

“Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to fight against such a tough opponent. I think super-bantamweight is my division now, so in 2024 I will look to show even greater form.

“I am so relieved at the moment to be victorious against such a strong, tough and spirited opponent.”

Inoue adds that he’s especially happy to get the win in such decisive fashion.

“He never showed me fatigue or damage; I couldn’t see that from his face, so I was quite surprised when he went down in the 10th round.”

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE

11:51 , Alex Pattle

It’s fair to say that Inoue’s performance and triumph here solidify him as the Indy Sport pound-for-pound No 1.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round 10

11:48 , Alex Pattle

Naoya Inoue def. Marlon Tapaes via 10th-round KO (1:02).

Undefeated, still, and now undisputed in a second weight class! Inoue becomes the second man ever to achieve that feat, joining Terence Crawford.

Light-flyweight world champion, super-flyweight world champion, undisputed bantamweight champion… and now… undisputed super-bantamweight champion.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round 10

11:46 , Alex Pattle

Clean left cross by Tapales. Now a heavy uppercut to the body.

Heavy right cross by Inoue, which seemed to be partially blocked, but Tapales falls to his knees anyway!

He crawls forward but can’t beat the count! It’s over, out of nowhere!!

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round nine

11:44 , Alex Pattle

Four rounds to go, including this one, barring any stoppages.

Solid lead right hook by Tapales, before Inoue shoves him away.

Inoue tries a few right crosses, setting each one up in a different way, and the third effort lands.

Slick jab by Tapales to catch out Inoue, who had just evaded an uppercut nicely.

Inoue stays on the front foot, slinging out more right straights. They’re getting through more frequently now.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round eight

11:40 , Alex Pattle

Hard right cross by Inoue, then a rapid, grazing counter jab.

Tapales holds Inoue and buries another left hook into the body of the home fighter.

Inoue hops in with a right hook that’s largely blocked. Again Inoue lunges in with a right hook, this time adding a left hand. Good uppercut, too.

Left and right hook combo from Inoue. A right cross is just wide of the mark.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE

11:36 , Alex Pattle

Proof that Tapales is very much in this fight!

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round seven

11:36 , Alex Pattle

Stiff, clean jab by Tapales! Inoue gets the Filipino off him with two brutal hooks to the cheeks, though – one on each side.

Now Tapales hides a southpaw cross behind a jab. Good work. Back comes Inoue as ever. Tapales holds him and burrows some left hooks into the midriff.

Double-jab, right hand by Inoue. It’s amazing how much power he generates along with his speed; neither is sacrificed for the other.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round six

11:32 , Alex Pattle

Inoue skips in behind a series of short, teasing, straight shots.

Tapales comes forward now, though, cornering Inoue again and bashing the body.

Tapales is very much in this fight. He corners Inoue again, but the Japanese fights his way out with some right crosses.

More right straights by Inoue – all aimed at the head, some of them blocked. Now he varies his offence, targeting the body before springing back upstairs.

Six rounds down, six more scheduled.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round five

11:28 , Alex Pattle

Inoue gets right after Rapales, who stays composed and reverses the position, cornering the Japanese.

Hammer of a left hook to the body by Inoue, then a right hook up top. He repeats that pattern. This is incredible stuff.

Tapales is getting backed up, is he on borrowed time? OH! He lands a clean right hook that has Inoue slightly off balance!

And another right hook by Tapales! Inoue can’t get complacent!

Inoue with a winging right hook of his own. Tapales responds in kind. Inoue unfurls a left hook to the body.

OH! Lovely uppercut by Inoue rattles the jaw of Tapales.

Inoue with perfect head movement then a slick counter right hand. Ouch. He goes back to the body. Tapales replies with an uppercut upstairs.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round four

11:24 , Alex Pattle

Tapales gets out on the front foot, but Inoue is quick to fire back.

Both men appear to land grazing right hooks simultaneously. They’re both loading up at the moment…

Both fighters land a series of spiteful hooks, to the body and upstairs! They’re almost taking turns! This is brilliant stuff.

Cross, uppercut, cross by Inoue, then a clean left hook that hurts Tapales! He pours on shots, and down goes Tapales against the ropes!!!

Tapales beats the count and the bell sounds!

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round three

11:20 , Alex Pattle

Tapales blocks a series of varied, heavy shots from Inoue, but the Filipino will have felt the impact of all of those.

Now Tapales fires off a southpaw cross to the mid-section. He corners Inoue and lands a decent cross, before Inoue fights his way into space, using his jab nicely.

A left hook is just wide of the mark for Inoue. Tapales lands to the body, and again, before seeing a right hook blocked upstairs.

Cross up top, right hook to the body by Inoue. His counter jab lands but a counter hook just misses.

Nice right hand by Inoue after he baits in Tapales with a feint.

A good round for Tapales, but Inoue started to turn the tide later in the frame.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round two

11:16 , Alex Pattle

Tapales backs up Inoue, who drops Tapales to a knee with a counter jab!

It’s ruled a slip, but that looked like a legitimate knockdown to me.

One-two to the body of Tapales, now a quick counter flurry of straight shots by Inoue.

Again Inoue lands a counter jab as Tapales opens up. The Filipino blocks a hard right cross.

Slick counter uppercut by Inoue, then a hook just misses for the Japanese. He loads up on a right hand but is out of range.

Strong jab by Tapales. Inoue tries to retaliate at once, using more short, straight punches.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE

11:13 , Alex Pattle

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Round one

11:12 , Alex Pattle

Heavy right uppercut to the body by Inoue, as his first shot of the fight, after he parries a jab.

Now a one-two, which Tapales blocks. Plenty of power on that effort, too.

Southpaw jab to the body by Tapales. Inoue tries a right hook, but he can’t curl it around his opponent’s guard.

Another one-two by Inoue is smothered by Tapales, but the cross seems to sneak through slightly.

Tapales with a decent left hand, and Inoue comes back with another right hook to the body. Now a lovely step-back uppercut by Inoue, squeezing it through the guard of Tapales.

Lunging jab to the body by Tapales from range.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Main event begins!

11:08 , Alex Pattle

First bell! We’re under way!

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Main-event ring walks

10:59 , Alex Pattle

Both fighters are now in the ring! The main event is minutes away…

The boxers’ national anthems are up first.

Two US judges for this bout, one from Canada. The referee is also from the US.

Now we’re onto the fighter introductions.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Main-event ring walks

10:44 , Alex Pattle

Inoue’s pro record stands at 25-0 with 22 knockouts. Tapales is 37-3 with 19 KO wins and 2 KO losses.

Inoue is 30, Tapales is 31. Inoue fights out of Japan, Tapales fights out of the Philippines.

At 5ft 5.5in, Inoue is an inch-and-a-half taller than Tapales. The Japanese’s reach – 67.5in – is two-and-a-half inches longer than Tapales’s, too.

Inoue stands orthodox, while Tapales is a southpaw.

Tapales, the WBA and IBF champion, is making his ring walk first. Then, it will be WBC and WBO champ Inoue.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi

10:41 , Alex Pattle

As we wait for the main-event ring walks, read our preview of Inoue vs Tapales right here:

Forget the football – boxing is the obvious sporting choice on Boxing Day

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi

10:32 , Alex Pattle

Seiya Tsutsumi def. Kazuki Anaguchi via unanimous decision.

Tsutsumi gets it done! He suffered a nasty cut but scored four knockdowns to win what was a competitive fight (in spite of those knockdowns).

Brutal stuff at times. Tsutsumi has earned every one of the 10 million Yen that he’s now receiving in the form of a giant cheque.

Next up? The main event! Naoya Inoue vs Marlon Tapales, to crown an undisputed super-bantamweight champion.

Don’t go anywhere.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi

10:28 , Alex Pattle

Round 10

Final round. It’s a firefight from the first bell! Blood is smeared on Tsutsumi’s left cheek, having slipped down from his lascerated brow.

Anaguchi with stern left straights. Tsutsumi with a left uppercut to the head and a right hook to the body.

Now Anaguchi catches Tsutsumi with a right hook. Grazing left cross by Anaguchi. Tsutsumi fires back to the body.

OH! With fewer than five seconds left in the fight, Anaguchi goes down again! It’s due to a pair of hooks!

That’s the fourth time in this fight that Anaguchi has arguably led a round but likely lost it due to a knockdown.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi

10:24 , Alex Pattle

Round nine

Penultimate round! Tsutsumi with a bit of a second wind, unloading short, varied shots to the head and body of Anaguchi, who responds with a step-back left cross.

Anaguchi stumbles back into the ropes; it looked like he tripped, but maybe he was caught on the end of a right hand?

Yes! It seems so, as he drops to the canvas moments later!

He’s back up, and Tsutsumi is pouring on punches, seeking a finish! But Anaguchi lands two stiff left hands – a hook and a cross – in retaliation!

Right hook to the body by Anaguchi, then two left crosses upstairs – hard shots! What a round!

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi

10:20 , Alex Pattle

Round eight

Anaguchi with a spearing jab as he gets back to a spell of cleaner work, after a scrappy spell early in this round.

Anaguchi holds Tsutsumi at the end of his extended right arm, seemingly placing his glove right on Tsutsumi’s cut!

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi

10:16 , Alex Pattle

Round seven

Tsutsumi gets after Anaguchi immediately, and before long he drops his compatriot with a right hand! That’s the second knockdown in four rounds!

Each time Anaguchi seems to be ahead, he gets caught! Tsutsumi seems to have been spurred on by the cut over his eye, as if he needs to get the job done quickly.

Stinging jab by Tsutsumi, then a barrage of hooks as Anaguchi covers up. Switch cross by Tsutsumi, but Anaguchi comes back with a left straight.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi

10:12 , Alex Pattle

Round six

Tsutsumi closes range with a scrappy couple of overhands. It gets physical in close, with Anaguchi using his shoulder to fend off his opponent, and Tsutsumi reacts with a bit of a shove.

Tsutsumi tries to corner Anaguchi, who circles away with ease. Tsutsumi with some teasing hooks to the body at close range.

The bantamweights separate, and soon Tsutsumi misses with more wild shots as he tries to close distance, while Anaguchi tags him with a timely counter hook.

The referee pauses the action, with Tsutsumi needing to be checked due to a bad cut over his left eye. A lot of blood there…

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi

10:08 , Alex Pattle

Round five

Tsutsumi squeezes some good uppercuts through Anaguchi’s guard, before popping his fellow Japanese with southpaw jabs.

Solid left hook from Anaguchi, who also stands southpaw. Now he digs a right into the body of Tsutsumi.

Perfectly-timed uppercut and left hook to the head by Tsutsumi! Beautiful one-two.

Brutal right hook to the body by Anaguchi, again, before Tsutsumi peppers him with more jabs upstairs.

Anaguchi once more with a right to the mid-section, then a wonderful flurry up top! It starts with a hook and ends with some swift, straight shots.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Undercard under way

10:04 , Alex Pattle

As our coverage begins, Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi is under way!

Tsutsumi with a perfect left cross and right hook to drop Anaguchi late in round four.

We pick things up in round five.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Undercard under way

10:01 , Alex Pattle

Anddddddd the under card is under way! Our live fight updates begin now, as we build to Inoue vs Tapales in the main event.

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: The best boxer in the world fights on Tuesdays

09:55 , Alex Pattle

Here’s our report from Inoue’s demolition of Stephen Fulton in July, an article that doubles up as a breakdown on why Inoue is must-watch every time he steps in the ring.

You just have to get used to the quirk of him boxing on Tuesday mornings, if you’re a fan in the UK!

And of course, this Tuesday happens to coincide with Boxing Day, fittingly.

The best boxer in the world fights on Tuesdays

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Pound-for-pound No 1?

09:51 , Alex Pattle

If Inoue can win today, he will become just the second man ever to reign as undisputed champion in two divisions.

The only boxer to do so, so far? Terence Crawford, who many fans see as boxing’s pound-for-pound No 1.

But not Indy Sport…

Crawford is *narrowly* behind Inoue in our rankings, with the Japanese superstar in top spot (or bottom spot, as you scroll down the article!).

The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Boxing is the obvious sporting choice on Boxing Day

09:47 , Alex Pattle

What’s the focal point of your Boxing Day? For some, it will be devouring the leftover turkey, roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts. For others, it will be a reluctant trip to the in-laws’ house for Christmas lite. For many readers on this page, it will be finding a comfy spot on the sofa and settling in for a slew of Premier League games. Lovely. In fact, the above aren’t mutually exclusive, but better yet? You can also squeeze in the real highlight of Boxing Day 2023 – one you might well have overlooked.

So, get the drive to the in-laws’ done nice and early, hold off on the leftovers until the afternoon (fill up on chocolate in the meantime, by all means), and look forward to the football, sure. But if you can bring yourself to miss just the early kick-off between an injury-ravaged Newcastle and flailing Nottingham Forest, then let your TV transport you to Tokyo. For there, the best boxer in the world returns to the ring.

On Boxing Day, boxing is the appropriate sporting choice, as Naoya Inoue makes his bid to create even more history. Read our full Inoue vs Tapalaes preview below, and if you can’t watch the fight, don’t go anywhere! We’ve got you covered right here.

Forget the football – boxing is the obvious sporting choice on Boxing Day

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: Fight card in full

09:43 , Alex Pattle

Naoya Inoue vs Marlon Tapales (WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF super-bantamweight titles)

Seiya Tsutsumi vs Kazuki Anaguchi (bantamweight)

Kanamu Sakama vs John Paul Gabunilas (flyweight)

Yoshiki Takei vs Mario Diaz Maldonado (super-bantamweight)

Andy Hiraoka vs Sebastian Diaz Maldonado (super-lightweight)

Suguru Ishikawa vs Fuga Uematsu (featherweight)

Rikiya Sato vs Keisuke Endo (super-featherweight)

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: How to watch online and on TV

09:34 , Alex Pattle

In the UK, the event will air live on Sky Sports. Subscribers can also stream the fights live on the broadcaster’s website and Sky Go app. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider.

What time does Inoue vs Tapales start and how to watch today

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE: What time does fight start?

09:24 , Alex Pattle

Inoue vs Tapales takes place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

The main card is due to begin at 10am GMT (3am PT, 5am CT, 6am ET), with ring walks for the main event set to follow at 12pm GMT (5am PT, 7am CT, 8am ET).

We’ll have you covered with all the build-up and undercard updates, then coverage of the main event of course.

What time does Inoue vs Tapales start and how to watch today

Inoue vs Tapales LIVE

09:17 , Alex Pattle

Naoya Inoue and Marlon Tapales go head to head in Tokyo today, with each man looking to emerge as the undisputed super-bantamweight champion.

Inoue became a four-weight champion in July, when he obliterated Stephen Fulton to win the WBC and WBO super-bantamweight belts, and now, the Japanese superstar is targeting Tapales’s WBA and IBF titles.

If Inoue is victorious, he will become just the second man ever to reign as undisputed champion in two divisions; the “Monster” previously held all the major belts at bantamweight, after spells as a world champion at super-flyweight and light-flyweight.

The unbeaten 30-year-old will be the favourite against Tapales, 31, though the Filipino is no pushover. Then again, the same has been said of many of Inoue’s opponents, only for the pound-for-pound talent to dismantle them with ease.