Japan's Inoue Called World's Best Boxer After 28th Win
Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue has remained the undisputed world super-bantamweight champion.
That's after his Irish challenger TJ Doheny pulled out with an injury during the fight in Tokyo on September 3.
Inoue was in control before his opponent quit in the seventh round, complaining of a back injury.
There were no big celebrations from Inoue afterward, but the technical knockout — as this type of victory is known in the sport — was the 28th of his career.
In fact, the 31-year-old has never been defeated in the ring as a professional boxer.
He has now won all 24 of his world title fights and has been a world champion in four different weight categories: light-flyweight, super-flyweight and bantamweight, as well as super-bantamweight.
To become an undisputed champion, a fighter must win all four available belts in a particular weight category.
Inoue has now become an undisputed champion in two different weight categories — he's only the second person to do this. In his current weight category — super-bantamweight — boxers must be no heavier than 55 kilograms.
Many boxing experts believe that Inoue is the best "pound-for-pound" fighter in the world.
This is a term given to a boxer from any weight category who is thought to have the best technique, skill and to have achieved the most important wins.
It's not something that can be measured, but is judged based on an observer's opinion.
After his victory over Doheny at the Ariake Arena in the Japanese capital, Inoue congratulated his opponent but said — through an interpreter — that he didn't expect the fight to end the way it did.
Inoue's team said that he'll defend his titles in Tokyo again at the end of the year and will fight in Las Vegas after that.
Inoue is from the city of Zama, but is now based in nearby Yokohama.
Naoya Inoue and TJ Doheny during the first round of their boxing match.
