Naoya Inoue defends undisputed super bantamweight titles after defeating TJ Doheny by TKO in seventh round in Tokyo
Published 03/09/2024 at 14:20 GMT+1
Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue underlined his status as one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world by defending his super-bantamweight titles, needing seven rounds to defeat Irishman TJ Doheny by TKO in Tokyo. Inoue’s impressive record now stands at 28-0, as it remains to be seen just who can stop him as he continues to build a strong legacy within the sport.
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Naoya Inoue was the favourite to beat TJ Doheny in Japan when the two faced off for the super-bantamweight world title, and the Japanese star gave the crowd just what they were after with a seventh round victory by TKO.
Inoue came into the fight with an impressive record - 27-0, with 24 knock-outs. The 31-year-old became the first undisputed bantamweight champion back in 2022 for over 50 years as he unified all four belts, and has since beaten Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales.
Doheny came in as the underdog, with four defeats from his last nine fights. But having won his previous three bouts, he was carrying some momentum into this one, and the Irishman had a decent record on Japanese soil.
After a couple of rounds of feeling each other out, Inoue started to find his range, landing body blows and gaining the upper hand.Â
By the fourth round, Doheny was up against the ropes and taking a battering, although he was still managing to land the odd hit of his own. But the momentum was all heading one way, and it was soon all over.
Doheny made it to the seventh round before he appeared to tweak his back, the Irishman winding up slumped over his stool with pain etched on his face. Unable to continue, Inoue was handed another emphatic victory.
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Whether directly caused by the body blows or not is immaterial, with Inoue clearly having the upper hand in the final few rounds, the star still looking fresh when his name was announced to the crowd.
Inoue is set to fight once more in Japan this year, before heading to Las Vegas for the start of 2025, while the future for Doheny will very much depend on the severity of his injury, with the sad sight of the Irishman being helped from the ring by his trainer being the enduring image of this fight.
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