SPORTS SHORTS 262: JONAS SULTAN IS ALSO AIMING AT NAOYA INOUE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 17 Nov 2021
Jonas Sultan joins two fellow Filipino fighters Johnriel Casimero and Nonito Donaire who are targeting at undefeated Japanese world bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue. The Tampilisan, Zamboanga Del Norte native did not hesitate to announce that he also aims at challenging Inoue's IBF and WBA title belts.
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"The No. 1 in my list is Naoya Inoue because I always dream of fighting him,” said Sultan as told to Spin.ph. "If there's an opportunity, I want really to fight Inoue.” Sultan is rated No. 10 contender by the WBA.
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Sultan is fresh from an impressive upset decision victory over previously undefeated Carlos Caraballo of Puerto Rico on October 30 at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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The 29-year-old Sultan is the third Filipino boxer to declare his intention to face the 28-year-old Japanese after WBO champion Casimero and WBC titlist Donaire, previously aired over media their interest in unifying their bantamweight belts with Inoue.
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Casimero is scheduled to defend his WBO title against Paul Butler on December 11. On the same date but on a different venue, Donaire will try to preserve his WBC belt against another Filipino in Reymart Garballo.
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But Sultan instantly joined the jumble to the Inoue fight following his great upset of Caraballo when he knocked down the Puerto Rican knockout specialist four times in their 10-round non-title bout en route to winning a unanimous decision.
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Sultan (18-5, 11 KOs) is also contemplating on challenging either Casimero and Donaire. Fighting a Filipino world champion is not strange to him because he fought the IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas on May 26, 2018 at the Savemart Center, Fresno, California where he lost by unanimous decision.
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“It is possible that Filipino versus Filipino happens, if we can't avoid it,” said Sultan, who’s being managed by Junnie Navarro and Mike Venezuela.
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Sultan surprised the boxing world when he defeated huge favorite Caraballo in the main undercard in the Jose Zepeda-Josue Vargas super-lightweight fight.
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He was not intimidated by Caraballo’s perfect record of 14-0 and 14 knockouts, as he showed that experience, and skills resilience offset the devastating punching power of the Puerto Rican ward of former world champion Miguel Cotto.
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Sultan (17-5, 11 KOs) never tasted a knockout defeat in his eight-year professional career, and owns a unanimous decision win against reigning WBO bantamweight champion and fellow Filipino Johnriel Casimero on September 16, 2017 at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino, Cebu City.
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Longest reigning current IBF superflyweight champion Ancajas and trainer Joven Jimenez, worked in his corner against Caraballo. Sultan and Ancajas has became good friends after their fight.
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Sultan was Ancajas’ sparring mate in his last fight in April against Mexican Jonathan Rodriguez, and in return the IBF champion helped his close friend in his training against Caraballo.
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Before the Caraballo upset, the Filipino bantamweight contender is coming off a seventh round stoppage of American Sharone Carter at the Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, whom he stopped in the seventh round in August 14 undercard of the Johnriel Casimero-Guillermo Rigondeaux title match in Carson, California.
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Inoue will take on the IBF No. 6 contender Aran Dipaen of Thailand, on December14 in Tokyo, Japan. The bout will be held at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, the venue of the Olympics boxing competition.
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It is part of a world title doubleheader, and will be Inoue's first fight in Japan since November 2019 when he defeated Nonito Donaire by unanimous decision in the final of the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight division.
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"Monster" Inoue successfully defended 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 defense by knocking out Dasmarinas in three rounds to improve his record to 21-0 with 18 KOs. Dipaen is 12-2 with 11 KOs.
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On the same card, Japan's Masataka Taniguchi, the WBO's top-ranked minimumweight, will fight WBO champion Wilfredo Mendez of Puerto Rico.
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NBA 2021-22 Regular Season Standings
Eastern Conference
1. Washington Wizards 10-3
2. Chicago Bulls 10-4
3. Brooklyn Nets 10-5
4. Miami Heat 9-5
5. Cleveland Cavaliers 9-6
6. New York Knicks 8-6
7. Philadelphia 76ers 8-6
8. Charlotte Hornets 8-7
9. Boston Celtics 7-7
10. Toronto Raptors 7-8
11. Milwaukee Bucks 6-8
12. Atlanta Hawks 6-9
13. Indiana Pacers 6-9
14. Detroit Pistons 3-10
15. Orlando Magic 3-11
* * *
Western Conference
1. Golden State Warriors 12-2
2. Phoenix Suns 10-3
3. Dallas Mavericks 9-4
4. Denver Nuggets 9-5
5. Utah Jazz 8-5
6. Los Angeles Clippers 8-5
7. Los Angeles Lakers 8-7
8. Memphis Grizzlies 7-7
9. Portland Trailblazers 7-8
10. Sacramento Kings 6-8
11. Oklahoma City Thunder 5-8
12. Minnesota Timberwolves
13. San Antonio Spurs 4-9
14. New Orleans Pelicans 2-13
15. Houston Rockets 1-13
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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