Michael Casama Lone Pinoy Winner in Japan
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 07 Jul 2024
Filipino featherweight fighter Michael Casama emerged as the lone Filipino, in fact foreign, winner in an international boxing card held at the Korakuen Boxing Arena in Tokyo, Japan yesterday, July 6, 2024.
The promotion served as aperitif to the super flyweight unification showdown today between WBA champion Kazuto Ioka and IBF titlist Fernando Martinez to be held at the Kokugigan Arena also in Tokyo.
Casama pulled off a sort of upset by stopping rising undefeated Japanese featherweight prospect Kota Kaneko, now 5-1-0, 4 KOs, in the very first round.
The North Cotabato native, now 10-2-1, 10 KOs caught Kaneko walking into a left hook midway through the first round wobbling Kaneko’s legs. The wild swinging Casama continued to fire away with both hands as Kaneko attempted to hold and cover up. Kaneko never went down but Casama never stopped landing, forcing the referee to stop the bout at the 2:05 mark of the round.
Michael Casama (L) celebrates after scoring a first round TKO win over Kota Kaneko in their 8-round scheduled featherweight bout at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, July 6, 2024.
It was a sort of revenge win for the 23-year-old Casama, as he had suffered a fifth round stoppage to Japanese prospect Junya Shimada in his previous bout in Japan 10 months ago. The victory is expected to feature Casama in more fights in the lucrative Japanese ring.
Unfortunately, two other Filipino boxers fighting in card, lost to their more illustrious Japanese foes.
In the main event, former title challenger Shokichi Iwata (13-1, 10 KOs) scored his fourth straight victory, stopping the previously unbeaten Jahzeel Trinidad (11-1, 6 KOs) at 1:10 of the sixth round of their ten-round junior flyweight fight. The 28-year-old Iwata had fought Jonathan Gonzalez in 2022 for the WBO junior flyweight title, losing a unanimous decision.
In the main supporting bout, Subaru Murata (7-0, 7 KOs) scored a sixth round stoppage of Bryan James Wild (12-1-1, 6 KOs) in a ten-round junior featherweight battle of lefties. Murata, 27, dropped Wild from an accumulation of punches in the fourth round before the bout was waved off at 1:49 of the sixth.
The other foreign fighter on the card, China's former world rated flyweight Wulan Toulehazi was beaten by unanimous decision by Kyosuke Takami in an 8 round featherweight match.
The card was promoted by Akihiko Honda.
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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