If you want the most coveted seat during the undisputed world super-bantamweight title clash between Naoya Inoue and Marlon Tapales next month in Tokyo, prepare to cough up Y220,000 (P81,000).
The Ariake Arena, which can accommodate as much as 15,000, will be the venue of the Inoue-Tapales duel that will have the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association, World Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation crowns on the line on 26 December.
Aside from the premium pass, fight fans can also downgrade to Y110,000 (P40,500), Y77,000 (P28,286), Y22,000 (P8,100) and the cheapest at Y11,000 (P4,050).
The power-hitting Inoue, holding an unbeaten 25-0 win-loss record with 22 knockouts, owns the WBC and WBO straps.
The southpaw Tapales, parading a 37-3 mark with 19 knockouts, holds the WBA and IBF belts.
Nicknamed “Monster,” Inoue is the heavy favorite in this scheduled 12-rounder but Tapales is somebody not to be taken for granted given his experience and undefeated record on Japanese soil.
To rev up for the big showdown barely a week before 2024, both fighters are intensifying their respective buildups.
Tapales has started sparring in Baguio City after spending the first half of camp in the United States while Inoue didn’t veer away from his old stomping ground.
If victorious, Tapales will become the first Filipino undisputed champion, a feat not even the great Manny Pacquiao, winner of eight world titles in as many weight classes, wasn’t able to pull off during his legendary career.
But the odds are stacked against him since Inoue is regarded as an elite pound-for-pound boxer, widely considered by many as the world’s top fighter regardless of weight.
