SPORTS SHORTS 151: MICHAEL DASMARIÑAS IS DOING EVERYTHING IN TRAINING TO WIN AGAINST THE "MONSTER" NAOYA INOUE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 18 Jun 2021
Naoya "Monster" Inoue will be returning to action in the ring this June 19, to defend his IBF and WBA bantamweight titles against No. 1 IBF and No. 8 WBA contender Michael "Hot and Spicy" Dasmariñas at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
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Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) will be aiming his 21st successive victory against Dasmariñas (30-2-1, 20 KOs) in the main event of this Top Rank promoted card. Inoue fought for the second time in the U.S in his last fight on October 31 last year, defeating Australian Jason Moloney by a seventh-round knockout in Las Vegas.
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In his first fight in US soil, he stopped Antonio Nieves of Cleveland, Ohio in the 6th round on September 9, 2017 at the Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California to defend his WBO junior bantamweight/super flyweight title.
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Inoue has already won world titles at WBC light flyweight and WBO super flyweight, making him a three-division world champion.
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Inoue won in what was considered by several experts as the toughest fight of his career, defeating four-division world champion Nonito Donaire by a 12 round unanimous decision on November 7, 2019 in Saitama, Japan.
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Inoue was hit with a huge powerful blow from Donaire and the Japanese ended up with a damaged orbital bone. In that fight, Inoue’s amazing defense let him survived and was not knocked out by Donaire. Inoue swerved from some of Donaire’s deadliest punches, which gave him the vote of the judges.
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Inoue says he was seeing double from the second round and by the fifth round he was fighting mainly on his instincts and gallantry. The hard punch fractured his right orbital bone. He also suffered a broken nose during the fight. He was carried on a stretcher after the bout and looked more injured than Donaire, the loser.
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Because of his exceptional performance, Donaire announced that he wanted a rematch. It never pushed through. But Donaire is now the WBC bantamweight champion after his fourth-round annihilation of champion Nordine Oubaali on May 29. Inoue is slated to battle him in a unification bout any time soon.
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The tough Filipino challenger Dasmariñas has won all his fights in the last seven years since his loss to Lwandile Sityatha by a controversial hometown split decision in South Africa in December 13, 2014.
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Three years ago, Dasmariñas fought to a draw against Manyo Plange of Ghana in September 29, 2018. Then Dasmariñas had beaten Kenny Demecillo of Iligan City in an IBF title eliminator on March 23, 2019 and journeyman Artid Bamrungauea of Thailand by 5th round TKO in October 26, 2019.
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Dasmariñas will face Inoue coming from a long layoff and it adds up to his downside. That's twenty months of inactivity and it will be a huge stumbling block when facing an accomplished champ in Inoue.
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One thing that Dasmariñas has going against him in this fight with Inoue is his inactivity. Dasmarinas last fought twenty months ago, and that’s a long period to be out of the ring when you’re taking on a talented fighter like Inoue.
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Dasmarinas has only been knocked out once in his career, in only his fourth fight, getting stopped by Marbon Bodiongan of Davao City in the second round in April 21, 2012.
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Dasmariñas is not doing a lot of talking heading into the biggest challenge in his boxing career and will let his action do the talking against Naoya Inoue come fight night.
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In his Facebook Live account, Dasmariñas just posted that he will just do everything in training as he prepares himself to fight for the WBA Super and IBF bantamweight titles from one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
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“I’ll do everything I can in training. We’re training now so that we have a chance to win,” said Dasmariñas.
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Dasmariñas has never challenged for a major world championship belt before and this is the first time he will face a very dangerous unbeaten fighter in Inoue who vanquished all twenty opponents, knocking out 17 of them.
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The southpaw from Pili, Camarines Sur will be making his debut in the United States and it will be in the entertainment capital of the world Las Vegas.
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Dasmariñas did not reveal any strategy for the Japanese world champion. “You’ll see it during the fight,” said Dasmariñas.
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Triller today announced that six division world champion Oscar De La Hoya will return to the ring to fight former UFC superstar Vitor Belfort on September 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, as part of the new TrillerVerz, the first-ever festival bringing together the power of Verzuz and Fight Club into one weekend festival.
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Belfort said, “It will be a pleasure to represent MMA again, this time in the ring against one of the biggest names in the history of boxing. It will be a war not to be missed and a fight my kids will be talking about. This is certain to make combat sports history.”
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The Milwaukee Bucks controlled the majority of the Game 6 with the Brooklyn Nets and got a 104-89 victory to keep their championship hopes still alive. Kevin Durant scored 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Nets again.
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But it wasn't enough as the Bucks trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday combined for 89 points, 35 rebounds and 13 assists to avoid being eliminated on their home court. With the win, both teams will play in a winner takes all Game 7 at Barclays Center on Saturday.
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Huberg Van Innis of Belgium won two gold medals at the 1900 Paris Olympics and then returned to the 1920 Games in Antwerp 20 years later to win four more golds at the age of 54.
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Duke Kahanamoku of the United States gained more fame for popularizing surfing, but he first won three golds and two silvers in the swimming competitions at the 1912, 1920 and 1924 Olympics.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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