Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

‘Monster’ Inoue to defend titles against Ireland’s Doheny

‘Monster’ Inoue to defend titles against Ireland’s Doheny

Naoya Inoue will defend his undisputed super-bantamweight world belts against Ireland’s TJ Doheny at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena in September, the Japanese boxer known as “Monster” announced yesterday.

The undefeated Inoue stopped Mexico’s Luis Nery in front of 55 000 fans at the Tokyo Dome in his last fight in May.

It headlined the first boxing card to be held at the venue since 42-1 underdog James “Buster” Douglas knocked out unbeaten heavyweight champion Mike Tyson there in February 1990 in one of the sport’s biggest upsets.

“Being able to fight at the Tokyo Dome was a special match for me in my career as a boxer, and I feel that will surpass that performance with this next fight,” Inoue told reporters.

The 31-year-old Inoue, who has a 27-0 win-loss record (24 KOs), will be the overwhelming favourite against Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs), who held the IBF super-bantamweight world title from 2018 to 2019.

The 37-year-old Irishman beat Bryl Bayagos of the Philippines on the Inoue undercard at the Tokyo Dome in his last fight.

“Doheny has had some really good fights recently, and I don’t want to take my eye off the ball,” Inoue said.

“He has knocked out boxers who I have sparred with, and he can produce the goods in his fights.”

Inoue gave another demonstration of his ferocious power against Nery in his first title defence since becoming the undisputed super-bantamweight world champion last December.

But he had to recover from being knocked down for the first time in his career after the Mexican floored him in the opening round.

Inoue got up and knocked his opponent down in the following round, before sending him to the canvas again in the fifth, and finishing him off with a right hook in the sixth.

Inoue is just the second man to become undisputed world champion at two different weights since the four-belt era began in 2004. American Terence Crawford was the first.

Yoshiki Takei will defend his bantamweight world title against fellow Japanese boxer Daigo Higa on the undercard. Takei beat Australia’s Jason Moloney in May to win the WBO belt. -Nampa