TJ Doheny won’t be overawed when he challenges the sensible Naoya Inoue for the undisputed super-bantamweight world championship on the Ariake Enviornment in Tokyo.
It is going to be the fifth time the Australia-based Irishman has fought in Japan and he has by no means misplaced there earlier than.
Doheny is a extremely skilled former world champion with a wholesome 77% knockout ratio.
Naoya Inoue recovered from being floored for the primary time, to win a wild 4 knockdown battle in opposition to Luis Nery.
“I believe Doheny’s acquired a very good punch, he is robust. He is a tricky, powerful man and he is been reeling off some nice wins in Japan as it’s so I do not assume he will be a stranger to the second,” Todd DuBoef, president of promoters Prime Rank, instructed Sky Sports activities.
“I believe he offers everyone issues, as a result of he is a tricky out,” DuBoef added. “He is seasoned. I would name him a veteran of the sport. He is seen all of it. With that comes the data of choose your pictures and to determine the instances when you are going to land them.
“They’ve seen all differing types come at them they usually’re not going to leap in and make silly errors. So you may even see him be slightly conservative early on to see what he has, with the pace and energy of Inoue.”
However DuBoef thinks that may be a mistake. He believes that Doheny ought to attempt to pressure an early error from the nice Japanese champion, similar to Luis Nery did when he shocked the watching public with a surprising knockdown of Inoue within the first spherical of his final struggle.
With Naoya Inoue scheduled to struggle on Sky Sports activities as soon as once more, try his damaging stoppage win over Marlon Tapales
“I believe he ought to attempt to soar on him and let Inoue know, like Nery did, you are not simply pitching a method. I will come again at you,” DuBoef mentioned.
Nonetheless Inoue has warned that he nonetheless bettering as a fighter and experiencing a knockdown may now make him extra harmful.
“We had been all there ringside and gasped for air once we noticed him taking place,” DuBoef mentioned.
“I used to be taught early on that quite a lot of instances first spherical knockdowns are guys being chilly, slightly tight, the atmosphere attending to them, them not being centered. However I believe he did precisely what nice, nice fighters do, he simply got here out the subsequent spherical and he simply dropped Nery. Simply answered in a short time.
“I believe he’ll develop into a greater fighter on account of it,” he concluded. “The best fighters within the historical past of the game have all been down, if it was Ali, if it was Leonard, everyone has been down. For him, he has freakish, freakish, freakish potential to have pace and energy, offence, defence and IQ.
“That is what makes him so thrilling to look at and make folks rave about watching him regardless of who he fights.”
An all-Japan super-fight?
Lead by Inoue, the game on the top-level is flourishing in Japan. On October 13 Takuma Inoue, Naoya’s brother, will defend his WBA bantamweight title in opposition to Seiya Tsutsumi and on October 14 Junto Nakatani, the WBC bantamweight champion and one other thrilling stylist, fights 77-bout veteran Tasana Salapat, all dwell on Sky Sports activities.
Watch the complete first spherical as Junto Nakatani knocks out Vincent Astrolabio with a strong left to the physique.
“They’ve this rockstar sort of personalities. They’re entertainers not solely boxers,” DuBoef mentioned of this new wave of Japanese fights.
“[Inoue] places all of it collectively,” he added. “Folks had been there 4 hours earlier than [his last fight] simply glued to that large stadium.
“It is refreshing to see. It is nice to see him have such relevance and transfer that nation and have such a giant fan base. For those who ever have an opportunity to see Inoue, regardless if it is Japan or anyplace else, he is nonetheless one thing particular to look at.”
An all-Japanese super-fight with Nakatani may very well be on the horizon for Inoue.
“I believe it is going to be fascinating to see each how Inoue does this struggle and it is going to be fascinating to see how Nakatani does in October,” DuBoef mentioned.
Junto Nakatani barely broke a sweat as he knocked out Vincent Astrolabio with a straight left to the physique for a first-round stoppage win.
“To have a homegrown struggle like that, is one thing particular. To have that beneath our umbrella and to be part of that’s fantastic. To see the event and the rise of each these guys come up on the identical time and to see the unimaginable merchandise which might be popping out of Japan is superb.
“I do not assume [Inoue] jumps to 126lbs instantly however you by no means know. But when a Nakatani struggle is there and for them to do, I believe it is fairly simple to see that path going ahead,” he defined.
“You have heard Angelo Leo [the new IBF featherweight champion call for a Inoue fight]. You noticed this child, [Bruce] ‘Shu Shu’ Carrington speak out at him, which was a really courageous transfer, speak out at him throughout the New York present.
“All people desires to be within the ring sooner or later with the most effective. Hopefully they do. And whenever you see somebody like Inoue come alongside, it is generational expertise, it is superb.”
Watch Inoue vs Doheny dwell on Sky Sports activities Fundamental Occasion and Sky Sports activities+ from 7.30am on Tuesday
Boxing developing on Sky Sports activities
Watch Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois dwell on Sky Sports activities Field Workplace on September 21
Naoya Inoue vs TJ Doheny – Undisputed super-bantamweight title (September 3)
Jaime Munguia vs Erik Bazinyan – Tremendous-middleweight bout (September 21)
Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois – IBF heavyweight title (September 21 on Sky Sports activities Field Workplace)
Takuma Inoue vs Seiya Tsutsumi – WBA bantamweight title (October 13)
Junto Nakatani vs Tasana Salapat – WBC bantamweight title (October 14)
