Photo/Illutration Naoya Inoue lands a body blow against Paul Butler in the 10th round at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Dec. 13. (Pool)

Naoya Inoue became the first Japanese boxer to collect all four world titles in a single weight class when he knocked out Britain’s Paul Butler in Tokyo on Dec. 13.

But Inoue, the new undisputed bantamweight champion, will likely soon relinquish all four belts.

“This is the final chapter for me in the bantamweight division,” Inoue, 29, said before the bout at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

Inoue is expected to take his skills and unbeaten 24-0 record to the super bantamweight division.

The “Monster” dominated his likely last fight as a bantamweight and earned his 21st stoppage at 1:09 of the 11th round.

Butler, 34, entered the fight as the WBO champion. After enduring a barrage of Inoue’s trademark body shots throughout the fight, Butler hit the canvass in the 11th round and could not beat the referee’s count.

Inoue took the WBA bantamweight title in May 2018, the IBF title in May 2019 and the WBC title in June this year, winning all championship fights by knockout.

Decades ago, crowning one boxing champion for each weight class was much simpler. But since 1963, sanctioning organizations have split while new ones were formed. There are now four major titles per division.

Inoue is the ninth boxer to unify all four in one weight class.

Since his professional debut in 2012, Inoue has won titles in three weight classes, but his international star really started to shine after he moved up to the bantamweight division in 2018.

His first bout in the weight class was against Britain’s Jamie McDonnell, the WBA champion, in May 2018. Inoue won with a first-round technical knockout.

In his nine bantamweight fights, including the unification bout against Butler, Inoue won eight by knockout.

The only fight that went the distance was his epic brawl against Nonito Donaire, another multiple-weight champion, in November 2019.

Inoue suffered a fractured orbital bone early in the bout but won the thriller by decision.

Fights involving Inoue, known for his hard body shots and uncanny timing, usually end early. His eight bantamweight fights won by KO or TKO averaged 4.4 rounds.

In October 2018, Inoue KO’d Juan Carlo Payano with a straight right at 1:10 of the first round.

In May 2019, he dropped IBF champion Emmanuel Rodriguez three times in the second round to win by TKO.

In a rematch with Donaire in June 2022, Inoue stopped the wily veteran in the second round.

The U.S. magazine Ring ranked Inoue as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, the first Japanese to reach that landmark.

“His four years in the bantamweight division are full of incredible performances, and I can’t pick the best one,” said Naoki Fukuda, a renowned boxing photographer who has followed Inoue’s progress in the ring.

Fukuda, who moved his base of operations to the United States in the 1990s, said it is rare for a boxer to get stronger after moving up a weight class.

But he said Inoue has not only maintained his power but has also improved in other areas since entering the bantamweight division.

“He has always been strong, but now he has both a solid offense and defense, like he has steel in his body,” the photographer said.

Inoue’s strong body core enables him to throw hard punches no matter how he is positioned,” Fukuda said. “That was evident with his counter left hook against Rodriguez in the second round and the right counter that toppled Donaire in June.”

He said Inoue has much in common with Manny Pacquiao, the boxing legend from the Philippines.

“Inoue obviously became stronger, just like Pacquiao did when he moved up to lightweight and apparently reached his best fighting weight.”

Pacquiao won world titles in a record eight different weight classes.

Inoue will be seeking a belt in his fourth division if he becomes a super bantamweight.

“This is not a goal. It is just a milestone,” Inoue said after his victory over Butler.

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