In early September we’ll see Undisputed Super Bantamweight champion
Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24) [井上尚弥] defending his titles against former IBF champion
TJ Doheny (26-4, 19). Today, ahead of that bout, Doheny took part in a media work out at the Ohashi Gym.
Doheny, who arrived in Japan yesterday after a training camp in Boston, looked full of energy and wide wake, showing no signs of jetlag whilst taking part in a press conference with trainer Hector Bermudez.
Talking about his preparation Doheny revealed he had done a 10 week training camp and explained "I was able to train in a world-class environment. It would be foolish to narrow it down to one thing to prepare for the all-rounder Inoue. This time I was able to strengthen my mentality." He also went on to say "There is no better match than the Undisputed Championship. It will be the biggest match of my career so far, so I am highly motivated. I don't feel like I'm getting old, and now is the best time."
Notably he explained the respect he has for the Monster "He's a fantastic boxer. I have no intention of finding fault with him," before adding "I learned that (Inoue) is human, too," when talking about Inoue;s bout with Luis Nery, saying "I thought it was amazing how he was able to recover after being knocked down and win."
As for how he envisions the bout with Inoue "Because I'm a professional boxer, I don't get paid for overtime, so it would be better if it ended quickly,", something that seemed to be anticipated by Inoue and his team, who explained that Doheny was likely looking for an early finish.
The actual work out it’s self saw Doheny do some stretching, some pad work and some body drum work, before showing off some shadow boxing in what was quite a light work out.
One keen observer at the work out was Shingo Inoue, who explained "He looks strong. His upper body looks strong, and I thought each punch was powerful. Naoya is also getting stronger physically, but there is no need to stop and fight on the other person's turf. Considering Doheny's motivation, we need to be careful. His hook looked strong, and his left swing too. I'm glad I was able to see the subtle (punch) angle."
In answer to a question about Doehny being an easy opponent for the Monster, Shingo explained "If he just does his normal boxing without getting nervous, he'll be fine. Since he was knocked down last time, I think he'll be able to stay calm." Then he added "Naoya is in good shape. His last sparring session will be next Monday, and if he does five rounds, it will be exactly 100 rounds."
