Naoya Inoue Vs. TJ Doheny: A Controversial Title Defense In Tokyo In September

‘Monster’ Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) has made an unpopular choice to defend his four 122-lb titles against TJ Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs) in September in his native homeland in Tokyo, Japan.

Inoue’s decision to defend his undisputed super bantamweight championship against the 37-year-old Doheny, viewed by fans as an old barnacle, has resulted in a huge backlash from fans on social media, who are unhappy with the Japanese star’s choice.

There’s little good to say about Doheny other than he’s won three in a row, but his opposition has been the weak variety to help rebuild his shattered career when he lost three out of four fights from 2020 to 2023.

Doheny’s recent wins have pushed him up the rankings at 122 to #2 WBO, #6 WBA, #7 IBF, and #9 WBC. Those three victories all occurred in Japan against Japanese fighters, so he’s known by the locals over there, which will create a degree of interest in Inoue taking on Doheny.

It’s questionable whether Doheny belongs anywhere near the top 10, given the poor middle-of-the-road three fighters he beat to claw his way back after getting repeatedly beaten during a bad run of luck.

History of Upsets

During TJ Doheny’s best years, he defeated three Japanese fighters: Ryosuke Iwasa, Ryohei Takahashi, and Kazuki Nakajima. Some view Inoue’s decision to face Doheny as a way for him to avenge his countrymen’s losses. If that’s the case, it’s a waste of his career because those guys weren’t good enough to beat him and the other top fighters.

Fans wanted to see Inoue defend his undisputed championship against former IBF/WBA super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who is ranked #1 WBA and is in one for a world title.

Rather than fight the dangerous Akhmadaliev, Monster Inoue has decided to make a voluntary defense against Doheny. It’s easy to figure out why. Doheny is the easier fight with less risk.

Featherweight Fears?

There’s a growing belief among U.S. fans that Naoya Inoue is afraid of moving up to featherweight due to the risks involved with fighting better opposition, many of which have similar punching power and have the technical skills to deal with his hand speed.

The featherweights view Inoue as food, and they can’t wait to beat him and be the first to send him down to defeat. These fighters are waiting for Inoue at 126:  Nick Ball, Bruce Carrington, Rey Vargas, Luis Alberto Lopez, Robeisy Ramirez, and Rafael Espinoza,

Those hungry wolves can’t wait to feed on Inoue, and it’s going to be interesting to see what happens when he comes down in weight to face them.