Inoue Prioritizes Doheny Over Mandatory Defense
Renowned boxer Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) is not obligated to fulfill his mandatory junior featherweight title assignment, according to his American promoter, Bob Arum. Arum revealed Inoue’s likely 2024 schedule, which includes a fight against veteran TJ Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs) instead of the WBA’s No. 1 contender, Murodjon “M.J.” Akhmadaliev, a former unified 122-pound champion.
Arum explained that Doheny has become a significant draw in Japan, where the tentative date for the fight is set as September 9. “Doheny has become a big, big draw over there, and that matters,” Arum said. He cited Luis Nery’s successful fight in the Tokyo Dome as an example of how a “bad boy” image can help boost ticket sales.
“Inoue should be fighting Akhmadaliev and guys like him … as he wants to be remembered as the greatest,” responded Kornilov, Akhmadaliev’s manager.
Following the Doheny fight, Inoue is expected to take on the IBF’s mandatory challenger, Sam Goodman, in December. Arum acknowledged that Inoue may lose the WBA title in the process, but stated, “Worse comes to worst, [Inoue] loses the WBA title … and that’s a ‘who cares?’ anyway, because the plan is for [Inoue] to fight at 122 this year and then move to 126 [featherweight] next year.”
Arum criticized the name value of Akhmadaliev, suggesting that “another opponent with four losses on [Inoue’s] record makes more sense.” As a four-division champion, Inoue is positioned to pursue his goal of becoming a five-division champion, a feat that Arum believes will be aided by the upcoming featherweight title fights involving Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions fighters. Arum emphasized that “if you go in with Inoue, there’s big money on the table.”
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