By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter
UNDEFEATED champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue of Japan retained his World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight and International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight world titles after making short work of Filipino challenger Michael “Hot and Spicy” Dasmariñas in their title fight on Sunday (Manila time) in Las Vegas.
Set for 12 rounds, the fight only reached a fourth of what was scheduled as the Japanese champion stopped his opponent in the third round with a solid left shot to the body from which Ms. Dasmariñas could not recover from.
The winning blow was the 17th that Mr. Inoue threw in just a short span which resulted in Mr. Dasmariñas dropping once in the second and twice in the third.
“It was a great win for me against the number one contender,” said Mr. Inoue in the post-fight interview, adding, “Every fight, I try to go for a knockout with head or body shots.”
The win stretched the Monster’s unblemished record to 21 wins while Mr. Dasmariñas fell to 30-3-1.
DONAIRE VS CASIMERO
Meanwhile, a unification fight between two Filipinos is happening in August as the camps of world champions Johnriel “Quadro Alas” Casimero (30-4) and Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire Jr. (41-6) have agreed to a top-class collision.
World Boxing Organization bantamweight champion Casimero and World Boxing Council champ Donaire are to do battle on Aug. 14.
The news was announced by Mr. Donaire himself on social media early on Sunday morning.
“My team does magic. Thank you to Richard Shaefer, Rachel Donaire, PBC (Premier Boxing Champions), TGB [Promotions] and Showtime. Started camp last week. Belt #2 coming soon,” wrote Mr. Donaire in his post.
Earlier, Mr. Donaire said the fight was offered to him by MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons whose group handles Mr. Casimero.
The fight incidentally replaces that of the scheduled fight between Mr. Casimero and former champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba.
Mr. Rigondeaux said he is ready to fight and is not injured but that organizers have decided to have a unification fight between Messrs. Casimero and Donaire instead. He will still fight against a different opponent in the undercard.
The winner in the August fight is being lined up for a showdown with Mr. Inoue.