Sky Sports was forced to issue an apology for “strong language” after the abrupt end of Naoya Inoue’s fight against TJ Doheny. The bout, held in Tokyo, saw Inoue defend his unified bantamweight titles against the Irish challenger.

The fight had been competitive up until the halfway point when Inoue, known for his devastating power, began to dominate. In the sixth round, Inoue unleashed a flurry of brutal punches, leaving Doheny reeling and barely saved by the bell. When the seventh round began, it was evident that something was wrong with Doheny, who gingerly approached the referee and pointed to his back and hip, indicating an injury.

The referee quickly assessed the situation and decided Doheny was unable to continue, declaring Inoue the winner. As Doheny’s team rushed into the ring to attend to him, confusion arose, and viewers were met with a message on Sky Sports: “Apologies for any strong language used in this live programme.”

The source of the strong language remains unclear, particularly since the fight took place in Japan while the commentary studio was based in the United States.

Despite the unexpected conclusion, Inoue extended his unbeaten record to 28-0, with 25 of those victories coming by knockout. Reflecting on the fight, Inoue said, “I’m still a work in progress. Today’s match especially, I want to celebrate how TJ Doheny brought the fight into this ring and his career. I would like to thank him, and yes, you can expect more from me in the future.”