Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue retained his undisputed world super-bantamweight championship after Irish challenger TJ Doheny was forced to quit in the seventh round due to an apparent back injury. The fight, held on Tuesday in Tokyo, ended when Doheny, after enduring relentless punishment from Inoue, dropped to his knee and was unable to continue.
Doheny, who had shown great courage in the ring, complained of a “twinge” in his back as he gingerly returned to his corner. Inoue, celebrating his 28th consecutive win, acknowledged the unexpected end to the fight, stating through a translator, “This fight didn’t end how we expected, but in a long career like this, this is a night we might have. I want to celebrate how TJ Doheny brought the fight into this ring.”
This victory marks Inoue’s 23rd world title fight since his first in 2014 and his seventh consecutive title defense in Japan. Inoue’s promoter, Bob Arum, announced plans for the champion to defend his titles again in Tokyo later this year, followed by a major celebration fight in Las Vegas, USA.
Inoue, a four-division world champion in light flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight, and now super bantamweight, faced a tough challenge from Doheny. The Irishman made the fight difficult with his sharp movements and experience, even possibly winning the third round with a powerful body punch and a left-right combination to Inoue’s head. However, Inoue’s relentless pressure paid off, especially in the sixth round when he landed a devastating overhead right that visibly hurt Doheny.
The fight concluded 16 seconds into the seventh round when Doheny, clearly in pain, signaled that he could not continue, ending the bout without conducting an interview.
“You can expect more from me in the future,” Inoue assured his fans. “To all the fans around the world, thank you so much for watching this fight. This is not everything that I have; I still have a long way to go.”
Inoue’s career record now stands at an impeccable 28-0, while Doheny has suffered his fifth defeat in 31 fights, marking the first time he has not gone the distance. Inoue is expected to face Australia’s Sam Goodman, the mandatory challenger for his IBF super bantamweight title, in Tokyo later this year.