Wembley No-Way – TJ Doheny – Naoya Inoue won’t happen in London

It won’t play out as close to home as rumour claimed last week, that’s the bad news! The good? TJ Doheny still appears to be the most likely next Naoya Inoue opponent.

‘The Power’ remains on course to challenge the Pound for Pound star for the undisputed super bantamweight championship of the world.

Portlaoise’s favourite has overtaken Sam Goodman as the first choice to fight the Japanese star and looks to be one win away from becoming Ireland’s first male undisputed champion of the four-belt era.

Considering the Aussie-based Irish fighter’s ‘Rock Star of the Orient’ standing, it was assumed Doheny’s Indian summer would continue in Japan.

However, it seems Turki Alalshikh has taken a liking to Inoue and wants the power puncher to fight on a Riyadh Season show.

There was suggestion the fight would take place as part of Anthony Joshua’s return to Wembley in September, but Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn has revealed that isn’t the case.

“Firstly, it is a Riyadh Season show, so I will let His Excellency announce all of the fights,” Hearn said.

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“Some of the fights that you mentioned there [Inoue, Wardley-Clarke II, Eubank-Sheeraz] have been discussed, some of them aren’t happening. I don’t think that he will mind me saying that Inoue is not fighting at Wembley but the plan would definitely to see him in a Riyadh Season event somewhere.”

If the former IBF world champion is handed a massive fight with ‘The Monster’, he says he won’t shy away from a fight.

‘The Power’ promises a power play and says he would test the chin pound-for-pound star, who often scares opponents into a defensive shell.

“[We are] the two hardest punchers with the most exciting styles left in the division,” Doheny said. “[I] can only predict a war.

“You won’t see me fightin’ scared in there like all those other wage thieves,” he adds before saying he will evoke the Japanese warrior spirit against the Japanese hero.

“I will put it all on the line for the Japanese fans! I’m coming with Yamato Damashii.”