Undisputed Junior Featherweight Champion Inoue to Defend Title in Japan in September
Las Vegas, July 21 – Naoya Inoue, the undefeated four-division world champion, is set to return to Japan for a September title defense, defying a recent WBA order, according to two officials familiar with the boxer’s plans.
The Japanese sensation, who boasts a formidable professional record of 27-0 with 24 knockouts, is seemingly uninterested in facing the WBA’s mandatory challenger, Murodjon “M.J.” Akhmadaliev, at this time. Inoue’s American promoter, the legendary Bob Arum, swiftly dismissed the suggestion that the undisputed champion must take on the Uzbek fighter next.
“Instead, it is believed that Australia’s former IBF junior featherweight titleholder, TJ Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs), has emerged as the targeted opponent for Inoue’s upcoming bout in Japan. Doheny, a 37-year-old veteran, has built a strong following in the country, having competed in three consecutive fights there.”
The decision to forgo the WBA’s order comes after Inoue’s impressive outing at the Tokyo Dome on May 6, where he drew a crowd of 55,000 and knocked out former 122-pound titleholder Luis Nery of Mexico. With the details of the new bout still to be finalized, boxing enthusiasts eagerly await the opportunity to witness the unstoppable Inoue in action once again.
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