A major underdog, Paul Butler is ready to change his fortunes and beat the unstoppable Naoya Inoue on December 13.
Both fighters face off to determine the undisputed bantamweight champion. The bout takes place inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena.
Butler is on an eight-fight win streak. The former Commonwealth super-flyweight and IBF bantamweight champion beat Jonas Sultan for the then-interim WBC bantamweight title. He was supposed to face John Riel Casimero for the regular title. The latter withdrew and was stripped of his title due to a medical guideline violation by the British Boxing Board of Control.
Butler faces "The Monster," an undefeated three-division champion with 20 wins via knockout. Per BetMGM, Inoue is the -3000 favorite, while Butler is the +1100 underdog. With a chance to be undisputed and potentially take down the unbeatable giant, a determined Butler ready to shine.
MORE: Sign up to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler, exclusively on ESPN+
“It is the toughest task in boxing,” Butler told The Liverpool Echo. “I have said it to everyone. My dad said it to me about six or seven weeks ago. This is the toughest task in boxing. You look around at the divisions, there are question marks over everyone in terms of who is the best, but Inoue stands out in the bantamweight division. I don’t think anyone out there is saying so and so will beat Inoue at bantamweight. It is the toughest task in boxing, but it is something that I have signed up for. I am looking forward to it. People say you are mad, but listen, mad is what I want. There is no other way of being an undisputed champion than facing Inoue.”
Here’s how much the two are expected to make for their title fight and how it may affect their wallets in the long run.
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler fight purse, prize money
Payouts for Inoue vs. Butler have not been revealed yet. Previous payouts could help to provide some insight as to how much they will earn.
Per Total Sportal, Inoue took home $500K in his last fight against Nonito Donaire. He earned $1 million in the first fight against Donaire, via Sports Payouts. In his Top Rank debut against Jason Moloney in 2020, Inoue took home about $1.5 million.
MORE: Paul Butler faces ultimate challenge against Naoya Inoue
Butler was supposed to make 25% of a bid made by Probellum ($26,250) in a fight against John Riel Casimero. However, Casimero withdrew before the weigh-ins. It is unknown how much he made against Jonas Sultan.
Our own @Tom_Gray_Boxing sat down with @1PaulButler to chat about his upcoming bout with Naoya Inoue, the first time Butler has fought outside the UK as a pro 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wvQ8B2eNEj
— Sporting News Boxing (@sn_fights) December 7, 2022
What is Naoya Inoue’s net worth?
Per Essentially Sports and CelebsAgeWiki, Inoue has a net worth of around $1-$5 million.
What is Paul Butler’s net worth?
It is unknown the exact net worth of Paul Butler.
Comparing him to other Inoue opponents, Jason Moloney has a net worth of about $1.5 million. Emmanuel Rodriguez has a net worth of about $1-$5 million. Nonito Donaire has a net worth of about $5 million.
MORE: Is Naoya Inoue the next Manny Pacquiao?
When is Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler?
- Date: Tuesday, December 13
- Start time: 5:30 a.m. ET | 10:30 a.m. GMT | 9:30 p.m. AEDT | 7:30 p.m. JST
- Main event: 7:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. GMT | 11:30 p.m. AEDT | 9:30 p.m. JST (approx.)
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler takes place on December 13. The main card starts at 5:30 a.m. ET | 10:30 a.m. GMT | 9:30 p.m. AEDT | 7:30 p.m. JST. Inoue and Butler should make their way to the ring around 7:30 a.m. ET | 12:30 p.m. GMT | 11:30 p.m. AEDT | 9:30 p.m. JST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. Dec 13 | ESPN+ |
| Japan | Sat. Dec 13 | dTV, Hikari TV |
| United Kingdom | Sun. Dec 13 | TBA |
| Australia | Sun. Dec 13 | Kayo |
In the United States, Inoue vs. Butler is available on ESPN+. In Japan, it is available via dTV and Hikari TV.
In Australia, you can watch the fight via Kayo.
MORE: Sign up to watch Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler, exclusively on ESPN+
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler price: How much will the fight cost?
You can pay $9.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $99.99.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
Naoya Inoue vs. Paul Butler fight card
- Naoya Inoue (c) vs. Paul Butler (c) for the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring bantamweight titles
- Yoshiki Takei (c) vs. Bruno Tarimo for the OBPF super-bantamweight title
- Andy Hiraoka (c) vs. Min Ho Jung for the WBO Asia Pacific super-lightweight title
- Satoshi Shimizu (c) vs. Landy Cris Leon for the OPBF featherweight title
- Takuma Inoue vs. Jake Bornea
- Hironori Miyake vs. Peter McGrail