Laois boxer’s brave effort falls short in Super-Bantamweight Title fight in Japan

Irish boxer TJ Doheny, fighting out of New South Wales Australia, faced a tough challenge in the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon as he went up against the undefeated Naoya Inoue in an undisputed super-bantamweight championship fight.

Despite being the underdog, Doheny showed tremendous heart and resilience against the Japanese powerhouse, who came into the bout with a formidable record of 27-0, with 24 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

The fight was closely contested in the early rounds, with Doheny displaying sharp footwork and a strong defense. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the sixth round when Inoue unleashed a furious barrage of punches, targeting Doheny's body with relentless precision. The sustained attack took its toll, visibly weakening the Laois native.

As the bell rang for the seventh round, Doheny bravely continued, but it became clear that he was struggling. Just 16 seconds into the round, the referee intervened, stopping the fight as Doheny had suffered what looked like a back injury and was unable to continue. The Portlaoise native then had to be helped back to his dressing room. See the ending of the fight below.

IT'S OVER.#InoueDoheny | @NaoyaInoue_410 pic.twitter.com/sftUzaxr3E

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) September 3, 2024

Despite the loss, Doheny's courage and determination in the face of such a formidable opponent have earned him widespread respect. Naoya Inoue, now with a record of 28-0, solidifies his status as one of the most dominant forces in boxing today.