Dasmariñas Gets First Crack At Toppling Monster Inoue
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 14 Jun 2021
Michael Dasmariñas gets the first of potentially three Filipino attempts to topple 'Monster' Naoya Inoue on top of the world bantamweight heap when he takes on the Japanese for his WBA super, IBF and Ring Magazine lineal world 118 lbs titles this Saturday night, June 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada (Sunday morning, June 20 in the Philippines).
As the IBF mandatory since two years ago earning it with string of impressive victories, Dasmariñas will come in to the ring as the decided underdog against Inoue but he vowed to mount a stiff challenge as he expected the Japanese to be wary of facing another Filipino after Nonito Donaire to whom he nearly lost in 2019 in Saitama, Japan.
Dasmariñas though also expected Inoue to come combat ready, as he himself was fully prepared after he had meticulously and carefully studied his opponent's fighting style, particularly Inoue's main weapons that feature an ubiquitous left jab and powerful right straight and included nasty body attack.
Inoue said he will be going for a knockout win within the first few rounds. The Japanese had knocked out five of his last six opponents, the sole exception being Donaire who gave him all he could handle, even breaking his nose and right eye socket before dropping a close but unanimous 12 round points decision in late 2019.
Inoue will be coming off a middle round knockout of Australian challenger Jason Moloney in his first defense of his unified titles in the US.
He was supposed to meet WBO titlist Johnriel Casimero in title unification last year but he inexplicably backed out after the Covid-19 pandemic caused its postponement and instead opted for a defense versus Moloney.
After the Inoue fight fell through, Casimero opted also for a WBO title defense, knocking out top Ghanaian challenger Duke Micah also in the US last September.
Casimero however is set first to meet WBA regular champion Guillermo Rigondeaux this August in a unification. He hopes a win will set him up against the Inoue-Dasmariñas winner later this year or early next year.
Meanwhile, also waiting in the wings is Donaire who has again won the WBC crown after knocking out erstwhile defending titlist Nordine Oubaali of France in the fourth round in Carson City, California.
Donaire is looking for another shot at the WBA super, IBF and Ring lineal titles to accomplish what he failed to do in 2011 when he first reigned as unified WBC and WBO world bantamweight champion by knocking out then defending Mexican titlist Fernando Montiel in the US.
But Donaire may have to first defend his WBC regular belt against the winner of the WBC interim title rematch between fellow Pinoy Reymart Gaballo and Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodriguez.
Gaballo won the interim belt last December by a disputed split decision over Rodriguez who protested the loss to the WBC prompting the rematch which is yet to be finalized.
Even if Inoue wins his coming title defense over Dasmariñas, he will find it very hard to avoid the Filipino duo of Casimero and Donaire, barring any upset of the two in their coming fights.
If Dasmariñas upsets Inoue, chances of Filipino versus Filipino for most or all the bantamweight titles are extremely high, a first and definitely a high point in Philippine boxing annals in any weight division.
That will be the day.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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