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September 3: Undisputed WBO junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue will defend his title against TJ Doheny at Ariake Arena in Tokyo LIVE on ESPN+

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September 3: Undisputed WBO junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue will defend his title against TJ Doheny at Ariake Arena in Tokyo LIVE on ESPN+

WBO bantamweight world champion Yoshiki Takei will defend his belt against Daigo Higa in the main event

TOKYO (July 16, 2024) — Heavyweight icon Naoya “The Monster” Inoue will defend his undisputed WBO world title against Irish-born former world champion TJ Doheny on Tuesday, September 3 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Inoue, the undisputed king of two weight classes, has knocked out eight consecutive opponents.

Inoue-Doheny headlines a star-studded event broadcast live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. The special early morning broadcast will also feature WBO bantamweight world champion Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8 KOs) defending his title against former flyweight world champion Daigo Higa (21-2-1, 19 KOs).

“Naoya Inoue is a generational talent and every time he fights, the boxing world stops to watch a champion at work,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. “TJ Doheny is a veteran who can never be written off because he has defied the odds time and time again while fighting in Japan.”

Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) won his first world title more than a decade ago and is 22-0 with 20 knockouts in world title fights. Inoue’s undisputed legacy began in December 2022 when he knocked out Paul Butler to unify the bantamweight titles. He then consolidated the super bantamweight division in compact order, winning the WBC and WBO world titles, stopping Stephen Fulton in eight fights in July 2023 and then defeating WBA/IBF champion Marlon Tapales in December of that same year. The 31-year-old powerhouse, named the 2023 Fighter of the Year by ESPN and Ring Magazine, returned to headline the historic Tokyo Dome in May. In the first boxing card since Buster Douglas shocked Mike Tyson in 1990, Inoue survived a first-round knockout to knock out Mexican two-division champion Luis Nery in six fights.

Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs) has a wealthy history in Japan and against Japanese fighters. He is 3-0 against Japanese fighters and 4-0 on Japanese soil, with three wins as a betting underdog. Doheny dethroned IBF junior featherweight world champion Ryosuke Iwasa in enemy territory in August 2018. He defended his belt against Japanese contender Ryohei Takahashi via 11th-round TKO the following January, before losing the belt to Danny Roman in a hard-fought unification bout in April of that same year. Despite some setbacks, Doheny has rebounded with three consecutive wins on Japanese soil. He defeated Kazuki Nakajima by fourth-round technical knockout in June 2023, knocked out Japhethlee Llamido by first-round knockout last October and triumphed over Bryl Bayogos in four rounds in the Inoue-Nera prelim fight.

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UK Boxing

Eddie Hearn updates Anthony Joshua’s current training situation

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Hearn believes Joshua will stick with Davison (Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

Hearn provided some clarity (Image: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing)
Hearn provided some clarity (Image: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing)

Eddie Hearn commented on speculations about whether Anthony Joshua will stay with coach Ben Davison.

Hearn and Davison could only watch as Joshua behaved eventually stopped by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last month, he failed to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.

Harlow’s coach faced criticism after the fight, particularly for the “AJ” order given immediately before Dubois stopped him in the fifth set.

The Watford superstar is no stranger to hiring and firing coaches – Davison is his fourth in the last three years.

However, in a recent interview with Fight Hub Television, Matchroom boss Hearn said he didn’t think Joshua would be looking to move up to fifth anytime soon.

Hearn believes Joshua will stick with Davison (Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Hearn believes Joshua will stick with Davison (Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

“He is satisfied with his training camp. It was in great condition; he sparred really well.

“In my opinion, there will be no changes.”

Davison was repeatedly praised for his partnership with Joshua before the disastrous showdown with Dubois, with many observers saying the 34-year-old looked as good as ever in the two fights preceding Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou.

Joshua suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of Dubois (Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing)
Joshua suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of Dubois (Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing)

However, these shows turned out to be of little value against “DDD”, who attacked his older compatriot and dominated practically the entire fight.

Against the advice of many prominent figures in the boxing world, it is increasingly likely that Joshua will go straight into another fight with the heavy-handed 26-year-old, with a second fight reportedly being the preferred option of Saudi financier Turki. Alalshch.

However, it should not be surprising that Joshua wants to settle the score immediately – he immediately drew with the only two players who beat him, Andy Ruiz Jr and Oleksandr Usyk.

That said, another loss to Dubois at this stage would certainly spell the end of the career of British boxing’s greatest ever star.

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Jake Paul said he had a huge problem weeks before his fight with Mike Tyson

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Boxing enthusiasts are raising eyebrows at Jake Paul’s readiness as the 27-year-old prepares to face Mike Tyson.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer will face former world heavyweight champion Tyson, who, at 58, is more than twice Paul’s age. Initially scheduled for July, the match was postponed due to health concerns about Tyson.

The rescheduled clash was scheduled for November at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Paul enters the ring with a 10-1 record after triumphing over Mike Perry earlier this year.

Recent Instagram footage shows Paul in the heat of training camp, but some fans remain skeptical after seeing clips of the Ohio native.

“He doesn’t look fit at all,” one viewer commented on the video. Some, however, defend Paul’s performance, noting that he is expected because he has bulked up to challenge Tyson.

Support for Tyson persists despite an age difference of more than three decades. “You might be fooling those little kids who didn’t grow up watching Tyson… Mike will knock you back to being a Disney Channel moron,” one fan noted.

“Real talk! He doesn’t understand who he’s dealing with,” we read in another comment. “Power has no age limits. It stays in muscle memory.”

What are your thoughts on Jake Paul’s chances against Mike Tyson?

Share your views in the comments section below.

For Tyson, this is his first meeting in the ring since the exhibition fight with Roy Jones Jr in 2020. This is a significant moment, marking his return since he last faced Kevin McBride professionally over 18 years ago in 2005.

His return was put on hold due to a flare-up of an ulcer, which led to a delay as advisers insisted on a postponement after consulting medical experts. This warning measure, adopted in May, underlined the paramount importance attached to the well-being of the athletes involved.

A stern warning to Paul for his upcoming fight comes from none other than boxing great “Sugar” Shane Mosley. In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, the 53-year-old emphasized: “If Mike really hits Jake, Mike can really hurt Jake, and I know what Mike can do and what Jake can do,” which increases the risk of the game .

Expressing doubts about Paul’s knowledge of Tyson’s power, Mosley noted: “I don’t think Jake really understands how difficult Mike can punch. Mike is 58 years ancient, but these are two-minute rounds and all the fighters are proud. I don’t think Mike will go there to lose to Jake Paul. Jake thinks he can take the shot.

Delving into the dynamics of the match, he detailed: “In the first five or six rounds and what makes it so humorous is that Mike Tyson’s punch is perilous, very perilous. Jake will have to tire him out. “Jake will do it, I have to understand how these blows will be dealt to him.”

Finally, Mosley offered insight into the sheer intensity of professional fighting compared to casual brawls, declaring, “People need to understand that a bar fight between two guys is one thing, and a professional fighter, especially a former world champion, regardless of age, is still very a perilous man who can seriously hurt you. I don’t know how long they will be able to hurt you [laughs]but these are blows from people who have been blowing all their lives.”

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UK Boxing

Tyson Fury chooses the only boxer he would avoid fighting. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

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It’s not often that Tyson Fury withdraws from a fight, but there is one name he has no interest in stepping into the ring with. The self-proclaimed “Gypsy King” has faced all claimants to his throne, but the rising Moses Itauma is an enemy he would rather not face.

And it’s demanding to blame boxing superstar Fury for avoiding this dynamo, especially considering the speed at which he’s rising in the heavyweight division. Itauma, 19, made his professional debut in January 2023, but already has a perfect 10-0 record.

Eight of those wins have been by knockout, including the last six in a row. Four of them ended in the first round, most recently Itauma defeated former Unified title challenger Mariusz Wach in May.

Some boxers may claim that they are open to any fight at any time. But Fury knows better after taking a closer look at Itauma, especially with his retirement date now in sight.

“No, definitely not!” Fury told TNT Sports when asked if he would consider facing Itauma in one of his farewell fights. “Do you think I’m stupid? No, no, no…”

The comment is related to Fury’s earlier praise of another boxer whom he predicted would have a great future. After a July sparring session with the teenager, the Gypsy King called Itauma “the future of the heavyweight division.”

Itauma’s finishing power has even compared him to a certain boxing icon, earning him the nickname “Britain’s Mike Tyson.” And the teenage man has set his sights high, as he says Mirror intends to break Iron Mike’s record as the youngest heavyweight champion, winning his first belt at the age of 20 years and four months.

Itauma said after calling training with Fury “an honor and a privilege.” talkSPORT the former champion was “very Marmite in sparring”. He added: “Sometimes he did well, but sometimes he was unreliable.”

Fury was at the M&S Bank Arena on Saturday to watch cousin Walter Fury defeat Dale Arrowsmith to move to 2-0 in the super welterweight division. The Gypsy King was supposed to meet Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch this month, but the second fight was postponed to December.

The 36-year-old is unlikely to look beyond that date when planning his future, with Fury desperate to settle the score after losing his WBC title to Usyk in May. Revenge against the Ukrainian would make Fury the undisputed king of the heavyweight division, but he had a lot of demanding work ahead of him, which resulted in Usyk’s first defeat in his career.

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