Naoya Inoue improved his professional record to 28-0 after a seventh-round stoppage of TJ Doheny in Tokyo – and the sky’s the limit for the hard-hitting Japanese star
Naoya Inoue has completely changed the way people view boxing in Japan, putting it on the map as a serious player in the sport.
The Ariake Arena in Tokyo was packed again in midweek to see Inoue put away opponent no.28, TJ Doheny. The end came by stoppage, the 25th of his career, inviting the question where next for arguably the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in the world.
His progression from light-flyweight world champion to super-bantamweight king is unlike anything I have seen in my lifetime. And he does not look like he is stopping there.
Some think he can’t go higher. I disagree. I think he can go up again because he has the dimensions to do it. He probably hits with the power of a super-lightweight.
He looks like he is not doing much or even trying hard. He has a good physique but not one that suggests explosive power. At light-flyweight he was crammed in. He doesn’t look overly big now, but he has carried his power forward.
Who knows what the limit is? He might even reach super-featherweight. It’s truly remarkable. I was a light fly at 15. I won my first national title as an amateur at 7st 7lbs. But I could never have done it as a senior, and certainly not as a pro.
It is not about the weight per se, because he probably walks around at 130 pounds. The phenomenal aspect is his ability to knock people over with the same clinical efficiency.
Some say Doheny quit in the seventh. I don’t subscribe to that view. You don’t want to be taking a shot in the floating ribs from a puncher who hits as hard as Inoue.
His timing is something else. His rotation generates incredible torque. Everything is locked in beautifully. He twists, rotates fully, then boom, he lands that big right hand or the left to the body and you are in trouble.
I would definitely like to see him at featherweight, and to take the show to America. He has fought only four times outside of Japan, three times in the States, twice in Las Vegas, and once in Glasgow.
I get it. If you are packing out halls in Japan, you are going to want to stay there, in front of a big crowd that supports you. But he is a global figure now. He needs to export that talent so we can all appreciate him for the absolute rockstar he is.
