Next Tuesday, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, one of the best boxers in the world, the formidable Japanese superstar Naoya “Monster” Inoue (27-0-0, 24 KOs), will step into the ring against Irish TJ “The Power” Doheny (26-4-0, 20 KOs). Up for grabs will be the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO super bantamweight titles, all currently held by Inoue.
Naoya Inoue: His Only Limit Is His Overconfidence
For years now, the “Monster” has been obliterating world-class opponents with astounding ease. Extremely powerful with both hands, varied in his offensive solutions, and lightning-fast in movement and execution, Inoue seems almost without flaws. It’s no coincidence that he has remained undefeated as a professional, capturing world titles in four weight classes, starting from light flyweight. His only limitation so far appears to be his overconfidence, which on a couple of occasions has led him to take significant risks. The first instance was when he faced the legendary Filipino Nonito Donaire in 2019: Inoue went toe-to-toe with him, disregarding Donaire’s devastating power and ended up fighting most of the fight with an orbital fracture, yet still managed to deservedly win on points. The second time was about four months ago, when Inoue came dangerously close to disaster by approaching his fight against Mexican Luis Nery with excessive bravado, suffering a heavy knockdown early on before regaining control and overwhelming his opponent. These are two small blemishes in a career that has otherwise been perfect and overwhelming.
TJ Doheny: Rising from His Ashes Like a Phoenix
Just over a year ago, “The Power” seemed destined for a decline without any more highlights. The Irish fighter had made his way up the world rankings in the first part of his career thanks to an aggressive style and considerable power, managing to capture the IBF super bantamweight title. However, his first professional loss, at the hands of American Daniel Roman, led him to lose many of his certainties. Knocked down twice during the fight and forced to admit that he couldn’t afford such a reckless style at the world level, Doheny entered a slump, losing three of his next five fights. His age and the defeats he had suffered made it seem like he was bound to become a mere high-level gatekeeper. Indeed, it was with this role in mind that he was invited to Japan in June of last year to test the local puncher Kazuki Nakajima, a powerful but fragile southpaw. Doheny knocked him out in just four rounds, earning himself two more fights in the Land of the Rising Sun, where he also managed to defeat up-and-coming fighters Japhethlee Llamido and Bryl Bayogos inside the distance. Like a phoenix, “The Power” has risen from his ashes.
What Will Happen? Boxe Punch’s Prediction!
The decision to fight TJ Doheny has drawn some criticism toward Inoue and his promoter Bob Arum. While most observers are inclined to be lenient towards the Japanese star due to the impressive string of sensational fights he has given us, some couldn’t help but point out that Doheny, despite his recent three-fight winning streak, is certainly not the best challenger available on the world scene.
The general consensus among experts is that after learning that IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman had requested a postponement, not feeling ready to face the fight in September, Inoue preferred to take a less demanding fight to win without risks ahead of his future commitments.
As intriguing as the idea might be of the nearly 38-year-old TJ Doheny, written off by everyone, managing to be competitive and giving us an exciting fight, the writer here stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago and thus doesn’t consider major surprises likely. With his somewhat open guard and reflexes that inevitably can’t be what they were in his prime, the Irish fighter seems destined for a quick and painful defeat.
The most likely scenario is one reminiscent of October 2018 when Inoue faced another southpaw with a not-so-tight defense, the Dominican Juan Carlos Payano, who was knocked out by a devastating right hand just over a minute into the match.
Similarly, in this case, I believe the Monster’s speed of execution, brutal power, and extreme precision will prove impossible for the challenger to handle, leading to a rapid conclusion. I therefore predict a KO victory for Naoya Inoue within the third round of the fight.