NAOYA Inoue returns to action on September 3 in the Ariake Arena, and saying his opponent is an underdog would be an understatement.
Inoue is expected, in most quarters, to win convincingly, and even in a two-horse race, where anything can happen, it might come as a surprise to see how few fight fans are giving TJ Doheny a shot at pulling off the upset.
After all, Doheny is a former IBF world champion currently on a three-fight winning streak. In 2019, he fought WBA champ Daniel Roman to a majority decision loss in a unified title effort. Despite never being stopped in his four losses, Doheny is no stranger to the canvas.
Having turned pro in 2012, Doheny is effectively a career super-bantamweight, with a 77 per cent knockout ratio, and has fought as highly as super-feather in the early days.
Therefore, Inoue will have to be respectful for the opening rounds while he checks out what the Irishman has to offer. TJ has put together a three-fight KO streak, all in Japan, so is familiar to the local audience. None of those victims have come close to the prowess of a generational talent who enjoys putting on a spectacular event.
After an intense three-fight, history-making run of wins, Inoue is due a breather. Many see Doheny as a brief interlude before the next main event. In fact, a resounding 96.86% of Boxing News app users expect an explosive end to the contest – in Inoue’s favour by KO/TKO.
How do you see the fight ending? Download the app today and make your pick.
