Boxing chief Eddie Hearn, who took to X to post a pile of poo emoji underneath a poster for the fight.

When reports first emerged that Doheny was the frontrunner to box Inoue next, Hearn told BoxNation: "Gutted, devastated, disappointing for boxing. Disappointing for Japan.

"If I hadn't worked with TJ Doheny five or six years ago I would really go in on this fight.

"But I don't want to disrespect TJ because he's a nice guy."

Hearn was hoping for Inoue to take a mandatory defence against his client and WBA No.1 Murodjon Akhmadaliev, but it wasn't to be.

"It's a horrific mismatch," he added. "I don't understand why, for some reason, Team Inoue and Mr. Honda and everyone, I know for a fact, they don't like the Akhmadaliev fight.

"I don't understand that you've got a pound-for-pound arguably number one, who has the opportunity to fight his mandatory.

"I wouldn't expect him to pick Akhmadaliev in a voluntary... It's hard to say Inoue is ducking Akhmadaliev, but he actually is."

https://talksport.com/sport/1968880/...ent-tj-doheny/