Naoya Inoue will officially defend his undisputed super bantamweight championship against TJ Doheny on September 3rd at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The event will be shown live on ESPN+.
The event will be shown early in the morning for U.S. fans, so those who choose to watch will need coffee.
Doheny, no spring chicken at 37, has recent wins over Bryl Bayogos, Japhethlee Llamido, and Kazuki Nakajima. They’re not household names, and it’s unclear why he was pushed up the rankings after those wins.
Doheny had been beaten repeatedly from 2019 to 2023, losing to these fighters:
– Sam Goodman
– Michael Conlan
– Ionuț Băluță
– Danny Roman
It only took Inoue one year to win all the belts at 122 and become the undisputed super bantamweight Champion. However, the division is weak, which made Inou’s job much easier than if he’d attempted to do the same thing at featherweight or lightweight.
Inoue defeated these fighters to become the undisputed at 122:
– Marlon Tapales
– Stephen Fulton
“Naoya Inoue is a generational talent, and every time he fights, the boxing world stops to watch the master at work,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “TJ Doheny is a veteran who can never be counted out, as he’s defied the odds many times when fighting in Japan.”
In the co-feature on the Inoue-Doheny card on September 3rd, WBO bantamweight world champion Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8 KOs) faces Daigo Higa (21-2-1, 19 KOs).
Light welterweight contender Ismael Barroso (25-4-2, 23 KOs) fights Andy Hiraoka (23-0, 18 KOs).
It’s unclear why Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) is using the 37-year-old Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs). He’s been beaten quite a few times in the last five years, losing four times.
Some fans feel that Inoue’s rationale for taking this fight is to avenge his fellow countrymen’s losses after Doheny’s recent comeback, which came after wins over Japanese fighters, albeit not top-level.
It’s believed that after Inoue defends against Doheny, he’ll defend against his #1 IBF and #1 WBO contender Sam Goodman. That’s a fight Australians will enjoy.
Many fans want Inoue to stay at 122 for one more fight against Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and then move up to 126 to face the top fighters in that division. There are at least six guys in that weight class that could potentially beat Inoue, which might be one reason why he’s hesitant about moving up. Life is easier for Inoue fighting at 122 against the likes of Doheny.
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