At the beginning of September, the undisputed super bantamweight title will be on the line as the champion, Naoya Inoue, defends his title against the strong challenger, TJ Doheny. The champion is coming off an emphatic knockout win over Luis Nery earlier this year at the Tokyo Dome. This was Inoue’s 24th knockout victory and was the most recent showcase of the champion’s dominant power and precision. Opposing him this time will be Ireland’s TJ Doheny who is also vaunted for his knockout prowess. Nicknamed “Power,” Doheny is well known for his exceptional punching power, possessing a knockout-win percentage of 76.92%. As of last month, Doheny is ranked as the world’s seventh-best super bantamweight fighter by The Ring. In this fight, the ultimate prize will be on the line as Inoue defends his undisputed title.
In this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each fighter along with some additional notes and information regarding boxing wagering and more. Click here if your are looking for Inoue v Doheny prop bets suggestions.
Inoue’s accomplishments in boxing are remarkable. Per reports and his official bio, he has held multiple world championships in four weight classes, and is one of only three male boxers in history to become the undisputed champion in two weight classes in the “four-belt era”. Like his opponent, he has stellar punching power, possessing a knockout-to-win percentage of 88.88%, with this number increasing to 90.90% in world title matches. Additionally, he is the first and only boxer to win the undisputed championship at Super Bantamweight, having held all four major titles since 2023, as well as the Ring magazine title. In June 2022, he became the first Japanese boxer to be ranked as No. 1 in the world, pound for pound, by The Ring and was named Fighter of the Year in 2023 by multiple publications, including The Ring and ESPN.
With an undefeated career record of 27-0, the Japanese striker is certainly a dominating presence and has earned all of these accolades for a reason. In addition to his unblemished record, he is riding an eight-fight knockout streak with a handful of those fights ending before the halfway point. Also, the last time he entered came down to a decision (Nonito Donaire in November 2019), he avenged that match-up with an emphatic second-round TKO victory in June 2022 against the same opponent. A stellar competitor, few have been able to slow down the champion, especially on his native soil where he has been even more dominant.
Opposing Inoue is the Irish fighter Doheny who has a strong career record of 26-4, with 20 wins by way of knockout. Doheny is currently riding a three-fight winning streak where has notched three straight TKO wins all in Japan. Additionally, in his bout against Kazuki Nakajima, he won the WBO Asia Pacific super-bantamweight title in a fantastic fourth TKO victory. While he did fall to Sam Goodman in March of last year via unanimous decision, he was able to rebound with three victories in a row. Moreover, he has never lost a bout via knockout to date, so he does present a tough challenge for Inoue’s powerful striking capabilities.
A southpaw striker, he turned professional in 2012 and compiled a record of 19-0 with 14 wins by knockout before challenging and beating another Japanese fighter, Ryosuke Iwasa, to win the IBF super bantamweight championship. He would defend this title one time before losing in a unification match to then WBA champion, Daniel Roman, per his bio. However, you must note that given his fantastic prowess to date, Doheny has never faced the caliber of a fighter like Inoue. Regardless, he is a tenacious competitor and if he is fully healthy, then he could leverage a potential surprise knockout victory over his opponent if Inoue is not careful. Both fighters possess critical knockout power which will be on full display when the two throw down in Tokyo so whoever lands that first significant blow might end up as the new champion.
If you are a normal reader of this space, you are aware of the dominance of Inoue. This is why he is again the pick here to emerge victorious in Japan. Of course, there is always the outside chance that Doheny springs the surprise knockout, but Inoue is the “Monster” for a reason.
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