Former IBF super bantamweight champion TJ Doheny 25-4 (19) showed there is life in the old dog yet with a first-round knockout of unbeaten prospect Japhethlee Llamido 11-1 (4) at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday night.
On the cusp of his 37th birthday, the Australian-based Irishman set a beautiful trap for the 23-year-old Llamido in their all-southpaw battle scheduled for 12 rounds. Doheny feinted with the left, came in behind the jab and threw an overhand left that caught Llamido on the point of the chin.
Showing his inexperience, Llamido immediately bounced to his feet only to fall back to the canvas again. He somehow regained his composure but was still on jelly legs when referee Michiaki Someya allowed the bout to continue, but the writing was on the wall.
Doheny, a 5-1 underdog, unloaded on the hapless Llamido forcing the referee’s stoppage at the 2:28 mark of the opening frame.
The legendary Korakuen Hall has been a happy hunting ground for Doheny. Five years ago he met IBF 122-pound champion Ryosuke Iwasa 28-5 (18) at the venue, defeating the Japanese southpaw by unanimous decision to be crowned world champion. This past June he faced another lefty there in Kazuki Nakajima 14-2-1 (12), knocking him out in four.
Llamido was being touted as a promising up and comer ready for the next step up in his career following positive sparring sessions with undefeated world champions Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue 25-0 (22) and Junto ‘Knackers’ Nakatani 26-0 (19).
“Llamido is an exceptional talent with an impressive amateur background who can fight both orthodox and southpaw,” Nomaan Ali told The Ring before the fight.
“He has just beaten a former world champion in Iwasa and now goes on to fight another former world champion in TJ Doheny. Not many are doing what he is doing at just 23 years old.
“When he gets past TJ (and we have every faith that he will), the plan is to push on to get a top-five rating and announce him to the boxing world. Llamido has sparred the likes of Inoue, (Vasiliy) Lomachenko, Michael Conlan, Leo Santa Cruz and more and is only just getting started.”
Llamido was equally confident of victory over Doheny as he looked to fast-track his way to a world title shot. Llamido worked with Inoue for his last fight against Stephen Fulton 21-1 (8) that the Japanese phenom won by eighth-round knockout at Ariake Arena in Tokyo in July.
“A win over TJ Doheny would be great for my career and have me enter the world ratings,” Llamido told The Ring.
“I was part of Inoue’s camp for Fulton and it went great. I have sparred Inoue many times and I give him my best work and he gives me his best work, so the goal is to just get better.”
