Just an hour ago undisputed world super bantamweight champion Naoya "Monster" Inoue squared off with former IBF champion TJ Doheny at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Moreover, the undercard also saw several title bouts, with each fighter stepping into the ring aiming to solidify their legacy or claim a coveted championship.
Doheny started strong, using his boxing skills to keep Inoue at bay during the early rounds. However, Inoue began to assert his dominance in the sixth round, landing a barrage of punches that left Doheny visibly shaken. In the seventh round, Doheny, unable to withstand the relentless pressure from Inoue, signaled to the referee that he couldn’t continue, leading to a TKO victory for Inoue.
In another thrilling bout WBO bantamweight champion Yoshiki Takei narrowly defended his title against former WBC flyweight champion Daigo Higa. Takei employed his southpaw stance and footwork to keep Higa at bay, countering effectively with uppercuts. However, the fight took a dramatic turn in the eleventh round when Higa floored Takei with a powerful shot to the neck. Despite the knockdown, Takei rallied in the final round, capitalizing on Higa’s decision to coast, which ultimately cost Higa the fight. Takei retained his title via a razor-thin unanimous decision, though it was far from his best performance.
Unbeaten southpaw Andy Hiraoka delivered an impressive performance, securing his position as the mandatory challenger for the WBA 140-pound title with a ninth-round stoppage of WBA interim champion Ismael Barroso. Hiraoka, utilizing his superior reach and speed, outjabbed Barroso throughout the fight. The Venezuelan veteran struggled to cope with Hiraoka's movement and power, hitting the canvas three times before the referee stopped the fight in the ninth round. This victory marks a significant step forward in Hiraoka’s career as he eyes a world title shot.
Jin Sasaki, ranked #3 by the WBO and holding high rankings with other major organizations, successfully defended his OPBF and WBO Asia Pacific welterweight titles by stopping Australian challenger Qamil Balla in the seventh round. Sasaki’s aggressive style overwhelmed Balla, who was dropped twice during the fight. A powerful left hook in the third round and relentless pressure in the seventh forced the referee to step in, securing Sasaki another knockout victory.
Also on the card, WBA #9 and WBC #10 ranked super bantamweight Toshiki Shimomachi retained his Japanese national title with a hard-fought unanimous decision over Ryuya Tsugawa. Despite being knocked down in the eighth round, Shimomachi used his height and reach advantage to outbox Tsugawa for most of the fight. The judges scored the bout in favor of Shimomachi, allowing him to keep his title in what was a challenging defense.
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