By: Sean Crose
TJ Doheny could be the first fighter to challenge pound-for-pound superstar Naoya Inoue in the ring since Nonito Donaire took Inoue to the mat in their epic debut fight in 2019. While it’s true that Naoya was largely in control throughout Tuesday’s fight with Doheny, the veteran proved to be a formidable opponent for the unified super bantamweight champion of the world. It was an exciting fight that unfortunately ended too soon.
The first round went pretty well. Inoue seemed to be flustered by Doheny’s left hand. Inoue landed hard and cleanly midway through the second round. Ending the round with a combination to the body, Inoue seemed more comfortable hounding his opponent with his left. With that, Doheny seemed to fluster Inoue again with his left hand in the third. The Irishman actually could have won the round.
Doheny fought well in the fourth round, but Inoue’s shots were simply stronger, cleaner, and more accurate. Confident in his abilities, Inoue continued to pursue his prey in the fifth round, landing hard on Doheny’s body. Inoue breezed through the sixth, but Doheny—clumsy, powerful, and punching hard—was relentless in the fight. Inoue, however, actually knocked his opponent down late in the round.
Doheny suddenly stopped fighting in the seventh second, and began limping across the ring, eventually falling to one knee. The referee had no choice but to stop the fight. However, being the fighter he is, Doheny limped over to Inoue after getting up, and congratulated the still undefeated champion. While the fight was long, it was a very entertaining one.
“This war did not end as we expected,” Inoue (via Guardian) said after the fight, “but with a career this long, this is the night we can have.” Indeed, Inoue declared to the crowd at Ariake Arena in Tokyo: “I want to celebrate the way TJ Doheny brought the fight into this ring.”
Of course, there were those who felt Inoue was not at his best against the determined Doheny. However, Inoue still exuded confidence. “You can expect more from me in the future,” he declared. “Thank you very much to all the fans around the world for watching this fight. This is not all I have, I still have a long way to go.”
*Image: Highest Rated
