Naoya Inoue still feels pressure ahead of TJ Doheny clash

Japan’s Naoya Inoue (L) and Ireland’s TJ Doheny pose after the official weigh-in ahead of their boxing super-bantamweight title fight, at a hotel in Yokohama on September 2, 2024. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)

Japan’s undisputed and unbeaten world super bantamweight champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue said “the pressure doesn’t change” as he prepares to take on Ireland’s TJ Doheny at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Tuesday.

Inoue, who has a 27-0 win-loss record (24 KOs), is stepping into the ring for the first time since he stopped Mexico’s Luis Nery in front of 55,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome in May.

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 against Ireland’s TJ Doheny

Inoue will fight in front of a smaller crowd in the Japanese capital but his attitude remains the same with all four of his title belts on the line.

“The pressure doesn’t change, it doesn’t matter that the last fight was at Tokyo Dome,” he told reporters after making weight for the fight on Monday.

“The enjoyment I take from fighting is the main thing. It doesn’t matter where the fight takes place, when I step into the ring I have expectations of myself.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he added.

The 31-year-old Inoue gave another demonstration of his ferocious power against Nery in his first title defense since becoming the undisputed super-bantamweight world champion last December.

But he had to recover from being knocked down for the first time in his career when floored by the Mexican in the opening round.

READ: Naoya Inoue shakes off early scare, knocks out Luis Nery

Inoue got up and knocked his opponent down in the following round, before sending him to the canvas again in the fifth and finishing him off with a right hook in the sixth.

Inoue is just the second man to become undisputed world champion at two different weights since the four-belt era began in 2004. American Terence Crawford was the first.

He will be the overwhelming favorite against the 37-year-old Doheny, who beat Bryl Bayagos of the Philippines on the Inoue undercard at the Tokyo Dome in his last fight.

Inoue said he expected Doheny to enter the fight significantly heavier than his weigh-in mark of 55.1kg (121.5lb).

“But in boxing, it’s not just about who is bigger physically,” Inoue said.

“Tomorrow I want to show my boxing skills.”