Naoya Inoue will defend his Undisputed Super Bantamweight Title against TJ Doheny in Tokyo, Japan, on September 3.
Inoue won all the belts after stopping Marlon Tapales to become a two-weight undisputed champion in the four-belt era alongside Terence Crawford. He successfully defended the title, stopping Luis Nery in his last fight. The Monster had to get off the canvas before finishing the fight in round six.
Doheny is not the biggest name despite his record. He has three consecutive wins with a 26-4 record, which includes 20 KOs. He is ranked in the top ten in all four governing bodies, peaking at number two in the WBO. His last three wins were all against Japanese fighters in their backyard.
While he is known to the Japanese audience, he is not considered a credible threat. However, Inoue has indicated his desire to stay at 122 pounds for now as he ponders a possible move up to 126 pounds. The fight has received a mixed response from fans.
THE YEAR OF THE MONSTER 🚨👑
P4P icon @NaoyaInoue_410 will defend his undisputed Super Bantamweight crown against former world champion @TJDoheny. #InoueDoheny | SEP 3 | @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/jHwYxFzMQU
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 16, 2024
Reaction
Should’ve been @samgoodman58 he already beat Doheny
— YaKidMe (@YaKidMe1) July 16, 2024
Another mismatch🤦♂️
— Combat Sports Insider (@combat_insider) July 16, 2024
As much as I like Inoue👎
— It’s Gabe! (@itsgabe_gabe) July 16, 2024