LAOIS MAN TJ Doheny will bid to become Ireland’s third reigning boxing world champion in 2018 after a points victory over Thai opponent Pipat Chaiporn in Bangkok this morning.
The Australia-based Doheny, who originally hails from Portlaoise, becomes mandatory challenger to IBF World super-bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa after moving to 18-0 (13 KOs) as a professional.
The 31-year-old southpaw comprehensively out-boxed veteran Chaiporn and was given the verdict on all three judges’ scorecards – though, due to the language barrier, perhaps didn’t realise as much immediately.
— Sean Gibbons (@KnuckleheadSean) December 20, 2017
It’s been a massive two years for the Irishman abroad, who recorded six straight stoppage victories before being taken the distance by the home fighter earlier this morning. In May of this year, he and his partner, Becca, welcomed their first child.
2017 threatened to end on a dour note, however, when Doheny’s original IBF world title eliminator – versus former champion Evgeny Gradovich – was canned due to the latter having become afflicted by a career-threatening eye problem.
Rather than travel to the lion’s den in central Russia, then, Doheny – ranked third by the IBF – jetted off for Bangkok to face wily Thai Chaiporn, who was ranked just one slot below Gradovich in seventh.
Victory means Doheny is now first in line to face world champion Iwasa of Japan in 2018.
Ireland currently boasts two professional world champions in Ryan Burnett and Katie Taylor, while Doheny’s fellow Aussie export Dennis Hogan is also moving in on a shot at world honours following his recent career-best victory in Brisbane.
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