Phenom Naoya Inoue, nicknamed ¡°the Monster¡± for his unparalleled talent and considered the next big thing in Japanese professional boxing, took his first step toward greatness on Sunday night.
The 20-year-old defeated champion Adrian Hernandez of Mexico with a sixth-round technical knockout and became the new WBC light flyweight champion at Ota City General Gymnasium.
Inoue needed only six professional bouts to earn the title, the fewest number for a Japanese boxer to win a world championship. Previously, Kazuto Ioka, the current WBA light flyweight champ, earned his first belt (WBC minimumweight) in his seventh fight.
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