TJ Doheny (left) smashes Kazuki Nakajima en path to a fourth-round stoppage victory on June 29, 2023, at Tokyo’s Korakuen Corridor. (Picture by Naoki Fukuda)
It wasn’t that way back that TJ Doheny’s profession seemed to be on the skids.
Rising star Sam Goodman had overwhelmed him on factors, including his title to Michael Conlan, Ionut Baluta and Daniel Roman as boxers who had defeated Doheny throughout a span of 4 years. The way in which again to the highest regarded like a protracted and windy street.
That was in March of final yr. Quick-forward to immediately and Doheny is lower than a month out from difficult Ring Journal and undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs), who he’ll face at Ariake Area in Tokyo, Japan, on September 3.
So how did Doheny handle to show his profession round?
“I put it all the way down to exercise,” the 37-year-old Irish southpaw, who lives in Sydney, Australia, mentioned to The Ring. “I’m in my mid-thirties and I wanted some motivation to maintain within the fitness center. It’s arduous if you’re sitting out on a hiatus with nothing to inspire you to coach. I’m additionally a dad of 4 children, so I’m a busy man. I’ve obtained different priorities and life commitments, so I’m not likely centered if I don’t have a battle date. So I believe the resurgence has come simply from battle after battle on the bounce over the past 12 to 18 months.”
Longtime supervisor Mike Altamura masterminded the current exercise that has seen Doheny’s return to kind. Since June of final yr, he has been despatched to field in Japan thrice, scoring three early knockouts towards stable opposition. Kazuki Nakajima was thought-about a high prospect in his homeland. He lasted 4 rounds. Fellow southpaw Japhethlee Llamido was undefeated. He didn’t hear the bell to finish the primary spherical. On the undercard of the Inoue versus Luis Nery battle in Could, Filipino Bryl Bayogos solely made it into the fourth spherical towards Doheny earlier than being stopped.
Doheny after his win over Nakajima. (Picture by Naoki Fukuda)
“I underperformed towards Goodman and I believe they may’ve been overlooking me in Japan, pondering I used to be going to be a simple scalp,” mentioned Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs), who received the IBF 122-pound belt towards Ryosuke Iwasa at Japan’s famed Korakuen Corridor six years in the past. “Then I am going over to Japan and bang-bang-bang, I flatten three guys in 12 months. And now I’m again and within the working [for a] world title.”
The continuity of fights has helped hold Doheny match and centered, enhancing daily within the fitness center.
“As soon as we obtained that battle with Nakajima and I bowled him over, we already knew then that we had a battle contract to return over to Japan,” mentioned Doheny, who’s ranked No. 7 at 122 kilos by The Ring. “In order that’s what stored me motivated within the fitness center; we knew we have been going to get the decision any day. Then they put me in towards Llamido, a child they’d held very extremely on a pedestal over in Japan as a result of he had given Inoue actually robust work in sparring and stuff. I flattened him in a spherical. After which we have been hoping we might get a possibility on an Inoue undercard or another alternative would come up in Japan. That’s what stored me motivated. You possibly can see what I’m able to once I’m energetic and within the fitness center.”
In a accident, Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs) was anticipated to face Inoue in September, however the undefeated 25-year-old determined to face Thailand’s Chainoi Worawut in July as a substitute. The Ring’s No. 4-ranked junior featherweight contender will seemingly get first crack on the winner of Inoue-Doheny. Altamura lobbied arduous to get Doheny the project in Japan.
“This is a chance that desires are made from,” mentioned Altamura. “The grandest stage within the sport, for all of the belts — it’s what any fighter aspires to. For this chance to return for TJ, at 37 years of age and 13 years into his skilled journey, it’s simply unimaginable.
“He has already been on the high of the mountain earlier than, held the IBF world title and had a unification bout [against Daniel Roman] previously, however that is undoubtedly the largest stage of his profession, for all of the belts, towards one of many pound-for-pound kings.
“Whenever you have a look at the chance offered, it’s an enormous motivation, towards all odds, to essentially write your self into the historical past books. And TJ has at all times been a kind of fighters I work with who thrives on challenges.”
And what a problem it’s. Little will be mentioned about Inoue that hasn’t been mentioned earlier than. He’s the dominant power within the lighter weight lessons after successful sanctioning physique belts in 4 separate weight lessons, together with undisputed standing and Ring Journal championships at bantamweight and junior featherweight, whereas slicing a swathe by means of his opposition.
However not each efficiency has been flawless. In his final battle towards Nery, Inoue needed to climb off the canvas within the opening spherical after being floored by a left-hand bomb from the Mexican southpaw. Though Inoue was finally dominant, dropping Nery thrice earlier than stopping him within the sixth, it did present some uncommon vulnerability in The Ring’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer.
Doheny watched on with curiosity from ringside.
“What I took out of that’s that he’s solely human in any case,” mentioned Doheny. “It simply goes to indicate that no person is ideal; anyone will be put down. Clearly, we’re going to go in there in search of a knockout, identical to he’s going to be in search of one. However will probably be achieved intelligently. I received’t simply be popping out swinging and hoping for the most effective; that’s not the way in which it’s going to work.
“I believe I carry a special sort of problem than Inoue’s earlier opponents. The final two have been each southpaws, however should you return by means of their data, they have been profession bantamweights. I’m a profession tremendous bantamweight and it’s no secret I’m large for the burden, so I’ve that energy and all people is aware of about my punch energy. I carry these attributes to the ring.
“When it comes to preparation and stuff, I simply have to get myself in the most effective bodily form and we’ll see how the battle performs out from there.”
Altamura makes no bones concerning the magnitude of this battle and the problem his boxer is going through. Victory for Doheny might be on the dimensions of Buster Douglas upsetting Mike Tyson on the Tokyo Dome 34 years in the past. However Altamura is cautiously optimistic that Doheny and his coach, Hector Bermudez, have put collectively the appropriate recreation plan to defeat the person generally known as “The Monster.”
“The areas we take confidence on this battle is that I do know we now have the higher puncher between the 2 and I do know that he’s going to be stronger than Inoue when they’re within the ring,” mentioned Altamura.
“TJ goes to should deactivate sure weapons of Inoue, who may be very dynamic offensively and has a very nice package of punches. He’s very quick together with his toes, however he doesn’t transfer his head so much, although. I believe there are going to be alternatives there for TJ to counter him and to stroll him into photographs, however he’s obtained to be actually switched on to the sport plan.
“I really feel as if Hector Bermudez – who to me is likely one of the most excellent trainers in world boxing – has the appropriate method and the appropriate recreation plans to be efficient towards Inoue, so I’m trying ahead to seeing how it’s going to play out on September 3.”
Australian-based boxing journalist Anthony Cocks has been overlaying the game for over 20 years for numerous print and on-line publications. Comply with him on X.
