In September, Naoya Inoue is set to defend his super bantamweight title against TJ Doheny in Tokyo, Japan. Some fans have expressed disappointment over this match up as they question the choice of Inoue facing the 37 year old Irish boxer Doheny, who has had a rough streak with four losses in his last nine fights since 2019. While Inoue remains undefeated, the selection of Doheny as an opponent has raised concerns due to his recent performance struggles in the ring.
Doheny's comeback efforts have included victories against lower ranked opponents but have not been sufficient to restore his standing. Despite being ranked #2 by WBO, #6 by WBA, #7 by IBF and #9 by WBC, Doheny has faced challenges in matches against fighters like Sam Goodman, Michael Conlan, Ionuț Băluță and Daniel Roman. This makes him a familiar but perhaps not a formidable adversary for Inoue.
In choosing to fight Doheny, Inoue may be strategically aiming to maintain his champion status without taking on significant risks. Doheny's popularity among Japanese supporters could enhance the local appeal of the match, but on a global scale, the fight may not generate the same level of interest. Many fans were anticipating a showdown between Inoue and his WBA mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev or a move up to the featherweight division for more challenging competitors.
Critics suggest that Inoue might be avoiding tougher competition in the featherweight category, where fighters like Nick Ball, Bruce Carrington, Rey Vargas, Luis Alberto Lopez, Robeisy Ramirez and Rafael Espinoza present more formidable challenges.
In spite of the critique, Inoue continues to be a prominent figure in boxing and his upcoming bout with Doheny is expected to attract interest. Nevertheless, to uphold his standing and legacy in the sport, fans and experts contend that Inoue must soon face off against stronger adversaries who can truly push his abilities to prove himself as one of the premier fighters of this era.
Read more about Naoya’s prominent career here.
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