Japan’s Naoya Inoue (L) and Eire’s TJ Doheny pose after the official weigh-in forward of their boxing super-bantamweight title combat, at a resort in Yokohama on September 2, 2024. (Photograph by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
Japan’s undisputed and unbeaten world tremendous bantamweight champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue stated “the strain doesn’t change” as he prepares to tackle Eire’s TJ Doheny at Tokyo’s Ariake Area on Tuesday.
Inoue, who has a 27-0 win-loss document (24 KOs), is getting into the ring for the primary time since he stopped Mexico’s Luis Nery in entrance of 55,000 followers on the Tokyo Dome in Could.
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His opponent is Irishman Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs), who held the IBF super-bantamweight world title from 2018 to 2019.
READ: Naoya Inoue to defend titles in opposition to Eire’s TJ Doheny
Inoue will combat in entrance of a smaller crowd within the Japanese capital however his perspective stays the identical with all 4 of his title belts on the road.
“The strain doesn’t change, it doesn’t matter that the final combat was at Tokyo Dome,” he advised reporters after making weight for the combat on Monday.
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“The enjoyment I take from preventing is the primary factor. It doesn’t matter the place the combat takes place, once I step into the ring I’ve expectations of myself.
“I’m wanting ahead to it,” he added.
The 31-year-old Inoue gave one other demonstration of his ferocious energy in opposition to Nery in his first title protection since changing into the undisputed super-bantamweight world champion final December.
However he needed to recuperate from being knocked down for the primary time in his profession when floored by the Mexican within the opening spherical.
READ: Naoya Inoue shakes off early scare, knocks out Luis Nery
Inoue obtained up and knocked his opponent down within the following spherical, earlier than sending him to the canvas once more within the fifth and ending him off with a proper hook within the sixth.
Inoue is simply the second man to grow to be undisputed world champion at two completely different weights for the reason that four-belt period started in 2004. American Terence Crawford was the primary.
He would be the overwhelming favourite in opposition to the 37-year-old Doheny, who beat Bryl Bayagos of the Philippines on the Inoue undercard on the Tokyo Dome in his final combat.
Inoue stated he anticipated Doheny to enter the combat considerably heavier than his weigh-in mark of 55.1kg (121.5lb).
“However in boxing, it’s not nearly who is greater bodily,” Inoue stated.
“Tomorrow I need to present my boxing abilities.”