Irishman TJ Doheny undertakes arguably the toughest test in world boxing when he meets the fearsome Naoya Inoue for the undisputed super bantamweight championship at the Ariake Arena on September 3.
The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast by ESPN+ in the U.S.
WATCH: Naoya Inoue vs. TJ Doheny, exclusively on ESPN+
Doheny is on a three-fight winning streak, with all those victories coming by stoppage on Japanese soil. In his most recent outing in May, the fighter known as "The Power" scored a fourth-round TKO over the previously unbeaten Bryl Bayogos on the Naoya Inoue-Luis Nery undercard.
Inoue annihilated Nery in six rounds but didn’t get everything his own way. In the opening seconds of round one, the Japanese hero was blasted to the canvas by a powerful left hand to the jaw before rising with a purpose. The Mexican challenger was down twice before being knocked out cold.
"What I took out of that is that [Inoue’s] human after all," Doheny told The Ring recently. "It just goes to show that nobody is perfect; anybody can be put down. Obviously, we’re going to go in there looking for a knockout, just like he’s going to be looking for one. But it will be done intelligently. I won’t just be coming out swinging and hoping for the best; that’s not the way it’s going to work.
"I think I bring a different type of challenge than Inoue’s previous opponents. The last two were both southpaws, but if you go back through their records, they were career bantamweights. I’m a career super bantamweight and it’s no secret I’m big for the weight, so I have that strength, and everybody knows about my punch power. I bring those attributes to the ring."
Can Doheny put a dent in "The Monster", or will Inoue extend his unbeaten record to 28-0?
The Sporting News takes a deep dive into the career and record of challenger TJ Doheny.
Who is TJ Doheny?
Doheny, 37, is the former IBF super bantamweight champion and a southpaw.
Based in Australia, he turned professional in 2012 and went 19 fights unbeaten before challenging Ryosuke Iwasa for the title. Doheny prevailed via decision before stopping another Japanese national Ryohei Takahashi in his first defense.
A 12-round majority decision loss to WBA counterpart Daniel Roman did not deter Doheny, who remains focused on regaining past glories. There have been setbacks, notably against Ionut Baluta, Michael Conlan and Sam Goodman, but Doheny’s experience, determination and work ethic demand maximum respect.
Since June of last year, he’s upset Kazuki Nakajima (TKO 4) to lift a regional title belt. He's defended it successfully against the previously unbeaten American Japhethlee Llamido and then swatted Bryl Bayogos aside.
Doheny is currently rated No. 2 by the WBO and also holds a top 10 spot with the IBF, WBA and WBC. He was granted this title shot after undefeated Australian and former conqueror Sam Goodman, the WBO's No. 1 contender, elected to take a tune-up fight before pursuing world honors.
The challenger is managed by Mike Altamura and trained by Hector Bermudez.
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TJ Doheny record, stats bio
- Nationality: Irish
- Born: November 2, 1986
- Height: 5-5 ½
- Reach: 68 in
- Total Fights: 30
- Record: 26-4 (20 KOs)
Naoya Inoue vs. TJ Doheny fight card
- Yoshiki Takei (c.) vs. Daigo Higa; Bantamweights
- Ismael Barroso (c.) vs. Andy Hiraoka; WBA "regular" super lightweight title
- Toshiki Shimomachi vs. Ryuya Tsugawa; Super Bantamweight
- Jin Sasaki vs. Qamil Balla; Welterweights
Naoya Inoue vs. TJ Doheny tune-in info
- Date: Tuesday, September 3
- Location: Ariake Arena — Tokyo, Japan
- Start time: 4 a.m. ET | 1 a.m. PT | 5 p.m. local time
- How to watch: ESPN+ ($10.99 for a monthly subscription / annual subscription for $109.99)
Naoya Inoue vs. TJ Doheny will take place in Japan on Tuesday, September 3. Fight fans in the U.S. can watch Inoue vs. Doheny on ESPN+.