WBC Special Preview: Inoue vs. Doheny

WBC STATISTICS

WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship

September 3, 2024 / Tokyo, Japan / Ariake Arena

TOP RANK, OHASHI PROMOTION, in association with TEIKEN PROMOTIONS, PRESENTS:

NAOYA “Monster” INOUE (Japan)

• WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion, 3rd defense
• Former WBC Bantamweight World Champion, 1 Title Defense
• Former WBC Light Flyweight World Champion, 1 Title Defense

Age: 31 / Date of birth: April 10, 1993

Residence, birthplace: Zama, Kanagawa, Japan

Record: 27-0, 24 KOs / Total rounds: 162 / World championship fights: 22-0, 20 KOs

Height: 5’5” – 165cm / Reach: 67.5” – 171cm / Stance: Right-handed

Manager: Sayuri Ohashi / Trainer: Shingo Inoue

T.J. “The Power” DOHENY (Ireland/Australia)

• Ranked WBC No. 7 at Super Bantamweight

Age: 37 / Date of birth: November 2, 1986

Residence: Perth, Western Australia / Birthplace: Portlaois, Ireland

Record: 26-4, 20 KOs / Total rounds: 178 / World championship fights: 2-1, 1 KO

Height: 5’6” – 167cm / Reach: 66” – 167cm / Stance: Left-handed

Manager: Mike Altamura / Trainer: Hector Bermudez

WBC SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS

1. Rigoberto Riasco (Pan) 1976
2. Royal Kobayashi (Jap) 1976
3. Dong-Kyun Yum (Kor) 1976 – 1977
4. Wilfredo Gomez (P. Rico) 1977 – 1982
5. Jaime Garza (US) 1983 – 1984
6. Juan Meza (US) 1984 – 1985
7. Lupe Pintor (Mex) 1985 – 1986
8. Samart Payakaroon (Thai) 1986 – 1987
9. Jeff Fenech (Aust) 1987 – 1988
10. Daniel Zaragoza (Mex) 1988 – 1990
11. Paul Banke (US) 1990
12. Pedro Decima (Arg) 1990 – 1991
13. Kiyoshi Hatanaka (Jap) 1991
14. Daniel Zaragoza (Mex) * 1991 – 1992
15. Thierry Jacob (Fra) 1992
16. Tracy Patterson (US) 1992 – 1994
17. Hector Acero-Sanchez (D.R.) 1994 – 1995
18. Daniel Zaragoza (Mex) * 1995 – 1997
19. Erik Morales (Mex) 1997 – 2000
20. Willie Jorrin (US) 2000 – 2002
21. Oscar Larios (Mex) 2002 – 2005
22. Israel Vazquez (Mex) 2005 – 2007
23. Rafael Marquez (Mexico) 2007
24. Israel Vazquez (Mexico) * 2007 – 2008
25. Toshiaki Nishioka (Japan) 2008 – 2012
26. Abner Mares (Mexico) 2012 – 2013
27. Victor Terrazas (Mexico) 2013
28. Leo Santa Cruz (Mexico) 2013 – 2015
29. Julio Ceja (Mexico) 2015 – 2016
30. Hugo Ruiz (Mexico) 2016
31. Hozumi Hasegawa 2016
32. Rey Vargas (Mexico) 2017 – 2020
33. Tomoki Kameda (Japan) Interim 2018
34. Luis Nery (Mexico) 2020 – 2021
35. Brandon Figueroa (US) 2021
36. Stephen Fulton Jr. (US) 2021 – 2023
37. Naoya Iinoue (Japan) 2023 –

* Regained title

WBC TOP 10 SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONS

1. Wilfredo Gomez (Puerto Rico)
2. Erik Morales (Mexico)
3. Jeff Fenech (Australia)
4. Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico)
5. Israel Vazquez (Mexico)
6. Abner Mares (Mexico)
7. Leo Santa Cruz (Mexico)
8. Tracy Patterson (US)
9. Oscar Larios (Mexico)
10. Royal Kobayashi (Japan)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY:

34 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only two have regained the title: Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico) two times, Israel Vazquez (Mexico).

119 WBC super bantamweight world title bouts have been held in WBC history.

Wilfredo Gomez (Puerto Rico) holds the record for super bantamweight world title defenses with 17.

Daniel Zaragoza (Mexico) made 14 title defenses in three periods as champion.

Oscar Larios (Mexico) made 10 title defenses.

MEMORABLE WBC SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS

May 6, 2024      Naoya Inoue TKO6 Luis Nery – Tokyo, Japan

Dec. 26, 2023   Naoya Inoue KO10 Marlon Tapales – Tokyo, Japan

July 25, 2023    Naoya Inoue TKO8 Stephen Fulton – Tokyo, Japan

June 4, 2022     Stephen Fulton Jr. W12 Danny Roman – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nov. 27, 2021   Stephen Fulton Jr. W12 Brandon Figueroa – Las Vegas, Nevada

May 15, 2021    Brandon Figueroa KO7 Luis Nery – Carson, California

Sep. 26, 2020   Luis Nery W12 Aaron Alameda – Uncasville, Connecticut

Feb. 25, 2017   Rey Vargas W12 Gavin McDonnell – Hull, England

Sep. 16, 2016   Hozumi Hasegawa TKO9 Hugo Ruiz – Osaka, Japan

Feb. 27, 2016   Hugo Ruiz TKO1 Julio Ceja – Anaheim, California

Aug. 29, 2015   Julio Ceja TKO5 Hugo Ruiz – Los Angeles, California

Aug. 24, 2013   Leo Santa Cruz KO3 Victor Terrazas – Carson, California

Nov. 10, 2012   Abner Mares W12 Anselmo Moreno – Los Angeles, California

May 23, 2009    Toshiaki Nishioka TKO3 Jhonny Gonzalez – Monterrey, Mexico

Mar. 1, 2008     Israel Vazquez W12 Rafael Marquez – Carson, California

Aug. 4, 2007     Israel Vazquez TKO6 Rafael Marquez – Hidalgo, Texas

Mar. 3, 2007     Rafael Marquez TKO7 Israel Vazquez – Carson, California

Dec. 3, 2005     Israel Vazquez TKO3 Oscar Larios – Las Vegas, Nevada

May 17, 2002    Oscar Larios TKO12 Israel Vazquez – Sacramento, California

Feb. 19, 2000   Erik Morales W12 Marco Antonio Barrera – Las Vegas, Nevada

Sep. 6, 1996     Erik Morales KO11 Daniel Zaragoza – El Paso, Texas

Nov. 6, 1995     Daniel Zaragoza W12 Hector Acero-Sanchez – Inglewood, California

Aug. 26, 1994   Hector Acero-Sanchez W12 Tracy Harris Patterson – Atlantic City

June 23, 1992   Tracy Harris Patterson TKO2 Thierry Jacob – Albany, New York

Mar. 20, 1992   Thierry Jacob W12 Daniel Zaragoza – Calais, France

Feb. 29, 1988   Daniel Zaragoza TKO10 Carlos Zarate – Inglewood, California

May 8, 1987      Jeff Fenech KO4 Samart Payakaroon – Sydney, Australia

Jan. 18, 1986    Samart Payakaroon KO5 Lupe Pintor – Bangkok, Thailand

Aug. 18, 1985   Lupe Pintor W12 Juan Meza – Mexico City, Mexico

Nov. 3, 1984     Juan Meza KO1 Jaime Garza – Kingston, New York

June 15, 1983   Jaime Garza TKO2 Bobby Berna – Los Angeles, California

Dec. 3, 1982     Wilfredo Gomez TKO14 Lupe Pintor – New Orleans, Louisiana

Oct. 28, 1978    Wilfredo Gomez TKO5 Carlos Zarate – San Juan, Puerto Rico

Jan. 19, 1978    Wilfredo Gomez KO3 Royal Kobayashi – Kitakyushu, Japan

Oct. 9, 1976      Royal Kobayashi KO8 Rigoberto Riasco – Tokyo, Japan

Apr. 3, 1976      Rigoberto Riasco TKO9 Waruinge Nakayama – Panama City, Panama

The Daunting Prospect of Transforming TJ into TC

By James Blears

Australia based Irishman TJ Doheny challenges Undisputed and undefeated super-bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on September 3^rd.

It is an exceptionally, exceedingly difficult prospect. Naoya has KO’d his last eight opponents. He’s won all of his twenty-two world championship bouts. He’s won world titles in four weight categories and twenty four of his twenty-seven bouts by fast track. Aged thirty- one, he’s six years younger than the man from Portlaoise, Ireland. But…Terence John possesses several key resources and factors upon which he can and must draw.

Naoya has built an 88.89 percent KO percentage. But southpaw TJ’s 26-4, 20 KO’s tangibly show that he’s is slouch either, as his KO radio is 76.92 percent. He himself carries tasty and salty KO power in either hand and he’s never been stopped. He won the IBF super-bantamweight title defeating Ryosuke Iwasa by UD and successfully defended once, before losing in a unification via MD, to WBA champion Daniel Roman. Following his UD loss to Sam Goodman in Sydney, he’s notched three consecutive victories in Japan. Although he’s fought sixteen times in his adopted Australia, he’s no stranger to the Land of the Rising sun.

If he’s to defeat the mighty and formidable Naoya, more likely than not, it would have to be early on. This is when opportunity might knock? It seems to be ‘’Monster’s’’ one and only vulnerability and flaw.

In their first titanic fight, Nonito Donaire caught Naoya momentarily napping in round two, with a crunching left hook to the face. That one punch wrought and rendered near havoc. It broke his nose, fractured his right orbital bone and cut him over his right eye. For the rest of the fight Naoya was seeing double and as such was at a disadvantage. Yet, he it speaks volumes about him that he overcame this, to dominate from round five onwards, stunning Nonito with a flush right hook to the jaw and increasingly dominating.

It almost ended in round eleven of their thrilling World Boxing Super Series bantamweight Final, when Naoya pinpoint left hook to Nonito’s liver. The Old Master doubled up in agony, but was wily enough to scuttle crab like to an open space across the ring and then go down on his haunches. Somehow, he bravely got up, but from then to the final bell he was in survival mode. The rematch was a second round blow out. Naoya was in no mood to drag it out and expose himself to more heavy- handed risks.

In his most recent super-bantamweight undisputed title defence against Tijuana’s Luis Nery, Naoya was again surprised early, this time in round one, with a crunching left hook, after momentarily dropping his hands. It put him down hard, but he remained clear eyed, clear headed and alert and he got up!

‘’The Monster’’ is not infallible, but on a scale of one to ten he obtains top marks, being able to adapt, pull out and summon up and assimilate sheer brilliance at the drop of a hat, accelerating into top gear in the blink of an eye, when confronted by adversity and its accompanying temporary setbacks. This tenacious ingenuity is assuredly one of the definitions of all time greatness.

He swiftly returned the compliment in round two of the fray and with interest, via his own potent left hook and yet again with a left in round five. The bell saved Nery, but not for long. In round six a right uppercut stunned him and then an even harder right hook decked him.

It was all over.

Prior to this Naoya became the second four belt undisputed champion by stopping tough and resourceful Filipino southpaw Marlon Tapales. Marlon was WBA and IBF super-bantamweight champion. Naoya had won the WBC and WBO belts by TKO’ing the talented Stephen Fulton in eight rounds.

Befitting the champion he was, Marlon put up a spirited fight. But as early as round four, a blistering, unremitting two fisted salvo, put him down. It could have ended there and then, but the bell saved him and he drew upon his excellent physical condition to weather the breaking storm. But…in round ten a big right hurt him and an even bigger right put him down, this time for the full count. Patient, persistent and all pervasive, Naoya had finally found the mark.

Naoya who is in his twelfth year as a pro, won his first title, the WBC light-flyweight Green and Gold, with a sixth TKO over Adrian ‘’Confessor’’ Hernandez, way back in 2014 in only his sixth fight, is a phenomenal talent. His speed and lightning reflexes and uncanny ring generalship are a marvel to watch. He’s a pinpoint, ruthless marksman, watchful and intelligent yet also instinctive and intuitive.

Secure in his supremacy, Naoya can show flashes of headstrong arrogance and bravado, from time to time, putting his hands behind his back and daring his opponent to punch him, or temptingly sticking out a jutting jaw. Most unwise, for even a superstar, because it only takes one punch, as we’ve all seen. Remember thou art mortal…even a conquering General.

He’s said he’s going to stay at super-bantamweight for the next couple of years, before considering moving up to featherweight. Thus far he’s matured and grown into every weight category, moving up, without easing up, carrying his formidable punching power along with him. But I feel he’s now reached his ceiling, size wise and would be giving too much weight away at one twenty Six. A bridge too far? We’ll have to be patient, wait and see.

TC or Top Cat is the wise cracking street wise cartoon cool cat, who lives alongside his pals in Hoagy’s Alley and he’s the bane of Officer Dibble’s life. As the opening credits via lyrics suggest: ‘’Good friends get to call him TC.’’

To win this fight against the most accomplished, skill laden and devastating champion of the lower weight divisions, TJ must use and utilize all of his savvy, defensive capabilities and feline cunning, striving for ‘’Purrfection,’’especially to cover up from withering body attacks, also avoiding unforced errors and trying to seize on and capitalize upon any fleeting opportunity early, like Donaire and Nery did.

In their case they certainly captured Naoya’s attention, but it didn’t deflect, alter or change the course or ultimate outcome of his dreadnought, purposeful plus ferocious full steam ahead onslaught. That outcome was their comeuppance and their downfall.

From time to time, Dibble irritably warned TC that fur could fly and he risked falling foul of the cop’s nightstick, especially when that cool cat was audaciously yet casually using his police phone, reserved for official business. TC invariably and flippantly brushed this aside….often with the caviller, caviar retort of: ‘’OK Officer Dribble!’’

TJ won’t be able to prevent ‘’Monster’s’’ fearsome clubbing attack. Rather he must try to deflect it and capitalize on any lapse early on, before Naoya gets warmed up, warms to his task and settles into his irresistible molten Blast furnace hammering fighting mode groove.

Terence John Doheny has been a world champion himself and as such he has that extra fighting spirit, panache and touch of class to pose problems. For his part, Naoya will be looking to deliver an onslaught and a blitz asap and pdq.

Yet, as so often, the key to success, will be consistency, focus and its application. Inscribing and enshrining the fighting words, of the seventeenth century Samurai Miyamoto Musashi, who prophetically wrote: ‘’A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.’’