For the record I wanted MJ, still want MJ, and hoping for MJ sometime around first half of next year before Inoue moves up.
That being said the timing WBA mentioned the mandatory was definitely way too late and the deadline way too short. After the Goodman fallout, it was not exactly a secret that a match with Doheny was in deep negotiations and all but finalized for September and then demanding a September match only means they either want some way to break the belts off, or just did it in spite. If WBA didn't have other intents and simply wanted a mando fight, they should've slapped it on the day after the Nery fight ended, or at the latest the moment Goodman negotiations fell through and not wait until the backup with Doheny was in full force.
Unfortunately with Doheny all but confirmed, my next hope would be that MJ actually wants the smoke for real and shows up to December during Inoue-Goodman to the ring. Or better yet find some way to somehow swap Goodman with MJ for December. Goodman can go cry a river in that case, as he really started this fiasco by his bravado words in May and then not wanting September which is still idiotic.
Finally someone who understands it. Inoue was ordered to fight Sam Goodman (IBF/WBO No.1) as IBF mandatory. Goodman however, quickly booked a filler fight so he could dodge fighting Inoue in the summer (Tokyo), ostensibly so he could negotiate for the bigger purse in the winter (Riyadh).
Inoue was left hanging, and had to find another fight to keep busy, so booked TJ Doheny (WBO No.2). Doheny was a quick replacement option, because Inoue's camp already had an agreement with Doheny as the backup defense card in case Nery failed to make weight; an issue Nery had in the past.
Then Akhmadaliev (WBA No.1) was ordered as a WBA mandatory. Because Inoue Doheny was already more or less agreed before Akhmadaliev was ordered, Ohashi refused to cancel Doheny to start negotiating with Akhmadaliev. Inoue will likely fight both Goodman and Akhmadaliev. It's just pushed back because Goodman ignored the mandatory challenge to stat pad.