Earlier today we reported on the now confirmed September 3rd show which will be headlined by
Undisputed Super Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24) [井上尚弥] defending his title against former IBF champion TJ Doheny (26-4, 19).
Following that report saw a full press conference with Inoue and his team, and Mike Altamura, who attended on Doheny’s behalf with the hard hitting Irish-Australian currently being in Massachusetts preparing for the bout.Hideyuki Ohashi, the main promoter of the event, stated "The match will be an exciting one. There are less than two months until the match, but I hope he will be careful not to get injured or make mistakes with his weight, and enter the ring in the best condition." We then heard from Yoshiaki Maeda, the NTT Docomo Inc. President and CEO, who are a major sponsor of Inoue and will be responsible for the broadcast in Japan on Lemino, who explained "Docomo has supported Inoue Naoya's activities as his main sponsor since 2018. We have worked hard to promote boxing together with boxing fans all over Japan. Inoue is a treasure of Japan and the best boxer in the world. He brings great excitement and enthusiasm to the world. I strongly feel that delivering Inoue's matches to many fans embodies the exciting sports and entertainment that Docomo aims to provide. I hope that this match will excite the world more than ever before."Then we began to hear from Inoue himself, with the Monster explaining "I heard about this match a little after the match at the Tokyo Dome. (Doheny) has been playing really good matches recently. He is a player who shows his true ability in the real match, so I can't let my guard down." Inoue then added "I want to develop my own boxing style, being cautious of even one hit and not letting him touch me. I don't know what you all think about the decision to hold this match, but he is an opponent I can't let my guard down against. I want to clear the next match well and fight with my eyes on the super bantamweight class in the future. I want to accelerate instead of burning out after the match at the Tokyo Dome." It seemed clear from that, that he wasn’t wanting to let his May win over Luis Nery be the start of a decline. But rather a highlight in a career that still has much to offer. But it also seemed like he wants to evolve his style, especially defensively.His father also echoed the fact Inoue wasn’t going to be able to over-look Doheny, before Ohashi build up Doheny, who has come over to Japan and scored 3 straight knockouts on shows he’s promoted, explaining "He's a fighter who will come out and win with his powerful punches. In terms of fear, he's as scary as Neri or even scarier. It's going to be a thrilling fight."
Answering a question from a member of the US media, Inoue explained "No matter how much weight Doheny gains on the day, it's fine as long as I don't let him touch me in a speed contest. I understand that boxing isn't just about power. There may be times when I need to fight physically, but I want to shut him out with a difference in technique that doesn't even need that."Notably Inoue spoke about his plans, and explained "I'm not retiring with this match, and I'm not changing my class. I'm thinking of fighting in this class for another two years, so I hope you'll look forward to my next opponent. I don't think Doheny is weak." He later explained "If I'm going to fight in the super bantamweight class, there will be matches like this. If I stay in this class for about two years, I'll have a maximum of six matches. It's almost impossible to fight a match like the last one (against Neri) in all six matches. If I win this one, I don't know if I'll fight Goodman (Sam Goodman, Australia) or (Murodjon) Akhmadaliev (Uzbekistan) next, but even if I beat Akhmadaliev, it's difficult to know who I'll fight. However, even in this situation, I don't have the option of moving up a class right now, as my body is not yet ready." That was notable, with Inoue essentially stating he has no plans to move up at the moment, not because he can’t, but because his body isn’t ready.
Altamura, who promotes Doheny, had a message from Doehny, "Firstly, I am very thankful to Mr Ohashi, Mr Honda, and Monster Inoue for this opportunity. Everybody knows that I am a true throwback warrior and I will come to bring a great fight to Inoue. I believe in my power and my fortitude. I won't run or look to survive like others have in the past. I will come for war and may the best man win." He also added that Doheny was in the US training, doing a training camp in Massachusetts, where he trained for his career defining win over
Ryosuke Iwasa. His plan is to travel to Japan in the third week of August, and do some sparring in Japan before the fight.
