With each concussive knockout, Naoya Inoue has continued on his quest to aggregate every world title at 118 pounds. Following three successive stoppage victories, the Japanese star sought to make amends for his 2019 showdown against Nonito Donaire. Although the 29-year-old eked out a close but clear unanimous decision victory in their first meeting, he violently and mercilessly ended their rivalry in their eventual rematch.

Eager to prove that their initial bout was nothing more than an off night, Inoue (23-0, 20 KOs) floored the future first ballot Hall of Famer in the opening round before finishing him off in the second. As three world titles remain safely underneath his arm, Inoue has been considered by many as arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Ultimately, however, Stephen Fulton, the current WBC and WBO trinket holder at 122 pounds, tips his cap to Inoue in approval of his overall skills. Nevertheless, the Philadelphia native, unlike many, isn’t willing to name him the best fighter around.

“He’s good,” said Fulton to BoxingScene.com. “But I wouldn't say the best in the world.”

Inoue’s next opportunity to impress will come at the tail end of the year when he takes on WBO bantamweight champion, Paul Butler. 

Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) is now looking at a move in weight, four-pounds north to the featherweight division, for a rematch with Brandon Figueroa. On Thursday, the 28-year-old received approval to face Figueroa for the WBC's interim-title.

Inoue is viewed as a gargantuan favorite in the upcoming fight with Butler. Should Inoue achieve his undisputed title dreams, he could look to invade Fulton’s outgoing division of 122-pounds.

Up until this point, Inoue has shown a propensity to not only outbox his foes but suddenly end their night in brutal fashion. Cognizant of his mind-numbing power, Fulton is of the belief that if Inoue's power was somewhat neutralized, the rest of his game is likely to fall apart.

“He is good but if you take away that power, would you still consider him as good?”