SPORTS SHORTS 131: NONITO DONAIRE, JOHN RIEL CASIMERO, MICHAEL DASMARINAS AND REYMART GABALLO - FOUR FILIPINOS IN WORLD BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE FIGHTS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 15 May 2021
Nonito Donaire, John Riel Casimero, Michael Dasmariñas and Reymart Gaballo are all set to engage in world bantamweight title fights. They are the four active Filipino bantamweight boxers who are holding higher ranked positions in the four boxing governing bodies.
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Nonito Donaire, the No. 1 WBC contender will clash with WBC champion Nordine Oubaali. WBO champion John Riel Casimero will defend his title against with WBA (Regular) champion Guillermo Rigondeaux.
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Michael Dasmariñas, the No. 1 IBF contender, will challenge Naoya Inoue for the WBA, IBF and The Ring world bantamweight titles. WBC interim titlist Raymart Gaballo is eyed for a rematch with Emmanuel Rodriguez, the No. 4 WBC contender.
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If God wills it that Donaire, Casimero and Dasmariñas will beat their respective opponents, the Philippines will hold the WBC, WBO, WBA and the IBF crowns. And it rarely happens.
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Johnriel Casimero promised to knock out two-time Olympic champion Guillermo Rigondeaux when they collide on August 14. Casimero will start his US training camp on June 1. Casimero (30-4 with 21 KOs) seeks to avenge the loss of Donaire hopefully by dealing Rigondeaux the second defeat of his career.
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It would be the most significant fight for Rigondeaux since his loss against to Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine on December 2017. Rigondeaux won the vacant World Boxing Association regular bantamweight title last February 2020 against Venezuelan Liborio Solís by split decision.
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Former four-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire will challenge WBC world bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali in a long-delayed title bout which is set to take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California on Saturday, May 29 in a Premier Boxing Champions event.
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"The Filipino Flash" Donaire (40-6, 26KOs), lost to Naoya Inoue in their World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) bantamweight tournament finals declared as Fight of the Year, but impressed the fight fans for giving the Japanese a hard time.
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Oubaali, who represented France in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, defended his title for they second time, scoring a 12-round decision over Takuma Inoue of Japan on November 9, 2019, at Saitama Arena in Saitama, Japan.
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Michael Dasmariñas will challenge Naoya Inoue for the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation bantamweight titles in Las Vegas on June 19.
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His encounter with The Ring pound-for-pound No. 2 Inoue will be Dasmariñas' biggest match, and it will be his first time to challenge for a world title in the four major boxing bodies, WBC, WBC, WBO and IBF.
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Dethroning Inoue is a tall order considering his unblemished career record of 20 wins with no loss and 17 knockout victories. Inoue's latest victory was an impressive seventh-round knockout over Australian Jason Moloney in October last year after his unanimous decision win over Donaire in November 2019.
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While Inoue is active, Dasmariñas has not fought since his match with Artid Bamrungauea of Thailand in October 2019, winning by a technical knockout in the fifth round improving his record to 30-2-1 with 20 KOs.
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Gaballo (24-0, 20 KOs) trained in Miami for nine months with Cuban coach Moro Fernandez last year and is now back in General Santos City. PhilStar Sports' Quinito Henson reported that MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons said, “Nothing is set at the moment for Gaballo, he’s getting his US visa re-issued and taking care of things.”
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Gaballo’s manager J. C. Manangquil said he doesn't want the interim championship to be relinquished. “We won’t let the belt be stripped,” he said. “We’re waiting for advice from Sir Sean and PBC. Reymart will fight anyone.” If a promoter comes to stage a rematch with Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gaballo won’t retreat.
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The Ring bantamweight rankings
Champion - Naoya Inoue
1. Nonito Donaire
2. Nordine Oubaali
3. John Riel Casimero
4. Emmanuel Rodriguez
5. Zolani Tete
6. Takuma Inoue
7. Jason Moloney
8. Guillermo Rigondeaux
9. Mike Plania
10. Gary Antonio Russell
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ESPN bantamweight rankings
1. Naoya Inoue
2. Guillermo Rigondeaux
3. Nordine Oubaali
4. John Riel Casimero
5. Nonito Donaire
6. Zolani Tete
7. Jason Moloney
8. Charlie Edwards
9. Emmanuel Rodriguez
10. Mike Plania
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BoxRec bantamweight rankings
1. Naoya Inoue
2. John Riel Casimero
3. Guillermo Rigondeaux
4. Khalid Yafai
5. Zolani Tete
6. Jason Moloney
7. Lee McGregor
8. Takuma Inoue
9. Reymart Gaballo
10. Ronald Malindi
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TBRB bantamweight rankings
1. Naoya Inoue
2. John Riel Casimero
3. Nordine Oubaali
4. Nonito Donaire
5. Zolani Tete
6. Emmanuel Rodriguez
7. Guillermo Rigondeaux
8. Takuma Inoue
9. Jason Moloney
10. Lee McGregor
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Zou Shiming won three consecutive Olympic medals, bronze in 2004 Athens and gold in 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. He became the WBO flyweight champion from 2016 to 2017. Zou is China's most successful amateur boxer of all time.
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Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the heavyweight class. He was the undisputed cruiserweight champion from 2018 until he vacated his titles in 2019, being the first cruiserweight in history to hold all four major world championship belts, the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and WBO titles.
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Last 10 Point Guards who were NBA MVP Awardees
Oscar Robertson: 1964
Magic Johnson: 1987, 1989, 1990
Steve Nash: 2005, 2006
Derrick Rose: 2011
Stephen Curry: 2015, 2016
Russell Westbrook: 2017
Source: fadeawayworld.net
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It is very hard for a point guard to win an MVP award. They are usually the smallest players on the court and have to depend on extra ordinary skill and court generalship to make a great impact.
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Oscar Robertson the 1964 winner, averaged a near triple-double with 31.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 11.0 assists. It took 23 years later for Magic Johnson to win 3 MVP Awards in 4 years. Then Steve Nash became a two-time MVP Award winner.
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Rose averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists and even took the MVP from a prime LeBron James. Stephen Curry later won back-to-back MVPs and even won the first-ever unanimous MVP in 2016. Russell Westbrook, the last point guard to win the MVP in 2017.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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