Big element lacking in Inoue-Casimero fight
By Recah Trinidad
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 24 Jun 2020
WITH the uneven path boxing’s return has taken, veteran promoter Bob Arum was asked about the world bantamweight triple crown unification championship between Japanese sensation Naoya Inoue and Filipino big puncher Johnriel Casimero.
“That’s certainly possible. That’s still out there," Arum replied.
The big bout, originally scheduled April 25, has been postponed after the coronavirus pandemic began to surge.
Casimero has continued to train since March in Las Vegas, waiting for a new go-signal from Arum.
What about Inoue, The Monster, with an awesome 19-0, 16-KO record?
“We are waiting to put him in a fight in Septermber or October,” Arum said.
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There’s no firm status for the big fight.
“Hopefully, by that time, we’ll be able to do fights with limited audience,” Arum told BoxingScene.com.
The response to the first phase of his bold move to bring live action to boxing fans, doing crowdless fights around the MGM Grand Las Vegas, has not been too encouraging.
They can’t go on selling boxing with a big limp indefinitely. But Arum has great expectations for Inoue, ranked among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
Arum said Inoue’s great value in the U.S. is that he has these Japanese high rollers that will come to his fight.
Arum said they hope to do a fight with Inoue for maybe 2,000 or 2,500 people in a 15,000-seat capacity stadium.
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The purpose is to provide spectators required space and protection against the pandemic.
“That’s what I’ve directed my guys to start working on, which is fights with limited audience,” Arum said.
Casimero’s conditioning coach said the burly Filipino warrior will be fast, strong explosive.
Inoue should be in Las Vegas early enough to perfect his conditioning.
His handlers, led by Japanese promoter Akihiko Honda, have promised to bring over Inoue in his original perfect form.
The ingredients for a great battle are there; what remains lacking is the certainty for an expected spectacle.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.
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