TOKYO: Japan`s undefeated Naoya Inoue landed a crushing right cross to secure fourth-round knockout victory against South Korea`s Kim Ye-joon to retain his super-bantamweight world titles in Tokyo on Friday.

Inoue, 31, stunned Kim with a left hand near the end of the fourth round before delivering a juddering right that sent him to the canvas. Kim`s corner threw in the towel, ending the fight and securing Inoue`s tenth consecutive knockout victory.

With a 29-0 record, including 26 knockouts, the 31-year-old remains focused on improvement.

`I don`t know how complete I am as a boxer. I want to keep training so that I can keep improving until the end of my career,` Inoue said. `I`m aiming to fight overseas this year, and I want to fight in Las Vegas in spring.

Kim, who stepped in on two weeks` notice to replace injured Australian Sam Goodman, was vying to become South Korea`s first male world champion in over two decades.The 30-year-old, who had beaten all seven Japanese fighters he had faced previously, admitted the challenge was greaterthan expected.`Inoue was faster and stronger than I thought he would be,` Kim said. `Of course, I came here to win, so this is difficult for me to take. My tactics were to getInoue to come close to me and then hit him on the counter.

In the early rounds, Inoue kept Kim pinned in the corner while the Korean landed some combinations. However, Inoue accelerated his pace in the fourth round, finishing the fight with an unanswered flurry of punches.

Originally scheduled to fight Goodman on Dec 24, Inoue faced multiple disruptions as the bout was postponed due to Goodman suffering a training injury.

Goodman eventually withdrew after reopening the cut, prompting Kim`s late replacement.

`I`m exhausted, but more than being physically tired, there has been a lot going on in the past two months,` Inoue said.

`My opponent got injured and the fight was postponed, then I got a different opponent. It has been difficult mentally.

Inoue also announced plans to fight in Las Vegas this spring and in Saudi Arabia later this year under a Riyadh Season sponsorship. His last international fight was a victory over Michael Dasmarinas in Las Vegas in June 2021.-AFP