The official weights are in for tomorrow’s super bantamweight clash that will take place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Unified 122 pound champion Naoya Inoue tipped-in at 122 pounds even, this the heaviest of his career if it means anything. Australian-based Irishman TJ Doheny was a fraction lighter at 121.5 pounds.
A sell-out crowd of fans will be on hand tomorrow, expecting to see their hero, “The Monster” do a job on Doheny, who is a big underdog. Inoue, perfect at 27-0(24) and for many the regining, mythical pound-for-pound king, did of course hit the canvas in his last fight, in May, when Luis Nery caused a brief sensation early courtesy of his left hook. Doheny, 26-4(20) and never stopped, is a southpaw like Nery, and the knockdown Inoue suffered has given Doheny some additional confidence.
But Inoue critics are not happy with tomorrow’s fight, with them saying the 31 year old furture Hall of Famer could and should be fighting someone more elite, more deserving, more dangerous. But who is there that is out there to test Inoue? Plenty of fans want to see Inoue make the move up to the featherweight division, which he says he may well do in time.
But for now comes the focused and determined Doheny. Can the former IBF champ at 122 pounds cause an even bigger – huger – sensation, and actually defeat Inoue? It would rank right up there with the biggest, most shocking upsets in boxing history, that’s for sure.
Instead, look for Inoue to figure his man out as he always does, before closing the show inside five rounds. Inoue will become the first man to stop Doheny.
On the under card tomorrow, Yoshiko Takei will defend his WBO bantamweight title against Daigo Higa. Both men made weight today, each coming in a fraction below the 118 pound limit. And Ismael Barroso will defend his WBA interim belt at 140 pounds against Andy Hiraoka. Both men tipped-in at the 140 pound limit exactly.
We could see some good KO action in a few hours time in Tokyo.
Read the full article here
