CEBU ? WBO world bantamweight champion Marlon 'The Nightmare' Tapales of the Philippines will make the first defense of his title against Takuma Inoue of Japan at the famed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan on Dec. 30, Tapales's manager Rex 'Wakee' Salud has informed Philboxing.
The 24-year-old Tapales (29-2,0, 12KO) who snatched the title from Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand in a dramatic 11th round stoppage last July 27 at the historic city of Ayutthayan in Thailand, was beset with offers to defend his title from London to Puerto Rico and Vietnam to Japan, but tonight, Salud said he has finalized the fight with Inoue right after Inoue's victory over Froilan Saludar at the Sky Arena in Zama, Kanagawa, Japan.
?We have come to terms with Joe Koizumi who negotiated for the Inoue camp,? Salud said.
Famed boxing man Koizumi reported that Inoue (8-0, 2KO) and fighting as a bantamweight for the first time, came off the canvas in the first round to send Saludar to the canvas once in the 8th and once in the 9th to earn a hard fought unanimous decision victory with scores of 97-90, 97-90 and 96-91 in their 10 round contest.
The 20-year-old Inoue, rated #4 by the WBC, #7 by the WBA and #11 by the WBO in the super flyweight division, is a seven-time Japanese national high school champion and is the younger brother of the more popular WBO super flyweight champion Naoya Inoue.
Photo: Takuma Inoue (R) in action against Mark Anthony Geraldo of the Philippines.
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