Bookie Batterer TJ Doheny only fighter to appear in 100 Biggest Upsets list TWICE in one year
Just how sensational TJ Doheny’s 2023 is summed up in one amazing fact.
‘The Power’ is the only boxer to appear in the Top 100 Biggest Upsets of 2023 TWICE.
The Portlaoise native earned himself an Irish Boxing Awards Fighter of the Year nomination – and would be favourite for the gong but for Katie Taylor’s historic two-weight undisputed title win in November – courtesy of two massive knockout wins in Japan.
Those victories over Kazuki Nakajima and Japhethlee Llamido at the Korakuen Hall put the Australian-based super bantamweight back in the world title picture and has even seen him be put forward as a potential opponent for Pound for Pound superstar Naoya Inoue.
The victories were also among the biggest odd-defying wins of the year in boxing. Far from the biggest of upsets, both ranked in the 60s when surprises were ranked by odds, but the former world champion is the only fighter to appear on two occasions.
THREAD – THE BIGGEST BOXING UPSETS OF 2023 – By The Gambling Odds. Top 100 shockers in the SWEET SCIENCE #BOXING #BOXEO #BOKS #BOXE #BOXEN #ボクシング #бокс 🥊🥊🥊 pic.twitter.com/tF9wnTxDq3
— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) December 29, 2023
He was 3-1 to defeat Llamido and slightly shorter to defeat Nakajima.
While the wins were bookie beaters, Doheny won’t have them called shocks.
The Laois native took offense to suggestions a former world champion was an underdog going into a fight with a boxer with less than 15 fights on his resume when he fought Llamido.
He also seemed upset people were caught off guard by the manner of victory, considering he had stopped 18 fighters previously including his last foe in Japan.
In true straight-shooting Doheny fashion, the fighter, who was the bookie’s underdog going into the clash, commented on numerous posts from media outlets that suggested the Portlaoise BC fighter had registered a ‘shock’ win.
“Shock for some people. People who haven’t a f**king clue about my life,” Doheny said at the time.
The biggest upset win for an Irish fighter in 2023 per the bookie’s odds was registered by another Australian-based Irish fighter.
Darragh Foley’s stoppage win over Robbie Davies Jr in England ranks as the highest Irish upset win.
The biggest upset victory of the year involves an Irish fighter but unfortunately not an Irish victor.
Jose Felix Jr’s stoppage of Gary Cully on the Katie Taylor homecoming card was the highest odds win of any fighter in 2023, while Jordan Gill’s win over Michael Conlan also features.
