SPORTS SHORTS 254: NONITO DONAIRE FIGHTS REYMART GABALLO, JOHN RIEL CASIMERO FACES PAUL BUTLER ON DECEMBER 11; NAOYA INOUE BATTLES ARAN DIPAEN ON DECEMBER 14
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 04 Nov 2021
The all-Filipino bantamweight world title fight between WBC world champion Nonito Donaire and WBC interim bantamweight titlist Reymart Gaballo is scheduled to take place on December 11 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
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The mandatory fight, as ordered by the World Boxing Council two months ago, will headline as the main event of a tripleheader on Showtime.
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Donaire (41-6, 27 KOs) was tested positive of Covid-19, so the title fight with WBC champion Nordine Oubaali was cancelled. Gaballo replaced Donaire and Emmanuel Rodriguez of Puerto Rico substituted Oubaali who was also positive with the virus.
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Gaballo of Polomolok, South Cotabato won a controversial split decision. Gaballo got the favor of John McKaie who scored 115-113 and Don Trella who saw it at 116-112, while Rodriguez won the third card from David Sutherland who had it 118-110.
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Donaire then successfully dethroned Oubaali when they finally collided last May 29. The win made the 38-year-old Donaire as the oldest world bantamweight champion. He will be turning 39 on November 16.
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Donaire previously had talks for a possible all-Filipino world title unification with WBO champion John Riel Casimero. But verbal exchanges between the two camps prevented the fight to happen as of now.
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Gaballo is undefeated with a record of 24-0 with 20 KOs but he will be an underdog in his world title shot after winning a highly controversial decision in his previous fight against Rodriguez on December 19, 2020 at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
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Gaballo defeated Stephon Young by unanimous decision on March 23, 2018 at the Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. to win the vacant WBA interim bantamweight title.
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Later, the WBC ordered a rematch due to the controversial outcome of the fight. But Rodriguez instead signed up for a fight against Gary Antonio Russell which ended in a no-decision when he suffered a nasty cut in a headbutt in the opening seconds of the fight.
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WBO bantamweight titlist John Riel Casimero will be making a ring comeback on the same date, December 11. His bout against British foe Paul Butler was earlier announced to be arranged by new promotions outfit Probellum.
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Probellum has yet to decide whether to hold the Casimero-Butler match in Liverpool, England or in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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The 32-year-old Butler, from Ellesmere Port, England, held the IBF bantamweight title in 2014 and also held multiple regional titles, including the British and Commonwealth superflyweight titles in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
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For Casimero, this will be his third straight title defense after his fight with Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba. Casimero (31-4, 21 KOs) retained his WBO world bantamweight title defeating Rigondeaux (20-2, 13 KOs) by split decision at the Dignity Health Sports Park in California on August 14.
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On the other hand, IBF/WBA unified bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue will headline a showdown in his native land Japan for the first time since the battle with Donaire on a fiercely-fought decision in the bantamweight unification fight in the World Boxing Super Series Finals which earned the “Fight of the Year”.
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It will happen at the famous Olympic boxing venue Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on December 14, just three days after Donaire and Casimero’s respective title defenses, as the Japanese pound-for-pound star clashes with Thai foe Aran Dipaen (12-2, 11 KOs).
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Inoue, who also wears and The Ring bantamweight title belt, remains undefeated in 21 bouts with 18 KOs. Inoue dropped Michael Dasmariñas three times en route to a knockout victory in the third round at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19.
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Inoue is now ranked No. 3 by The Ring, ESPN and Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and No. 2 by the Boxing Writers Association of America pound-for-pound. Ranked above him is unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
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Even if the three bantamweight world champions created much publicity and interests in the boxing world this year, fans would have to wait until next year before witnessing the three bantamweight titlists collide with each other.
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Caleb Plant will fight as a heavy underdog on November 6. It was regarded by many as Canelo Alvarez's enthroning as the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world, a mission he wants to accomplish in less than a year by grabbing titles from Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and hopefully, Caleb Plant.
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Betting oddsmakers have placed the Mexican champion up to a 12.5 to 1 favorite. These are ridiculous odds that branded Plant a bigger underdog than Conor McGregor when he ventured into boxing for the first time against former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.
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The Milwaukee Bucks could be the most injury reduced team in the NBA, presently missing four starters in Brook Lopez (back), Khris Middleton (Covid), Jrue Holiday (ankle) and Donte DiVicenzo (ankle). But their might was not diminished Wednesday with the win over the Detroit Pistons on the road 117-89.
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The Bucks ended a three-game losing streak. Giannis Antetokounmpo, played center with the absence of Lopez and scored 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds, handed out nine assists and contributed four blocks in just 27 minutes of play with the Bucks giving ample time to their bench.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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