By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

 

WE, die-hard boxing aficionados, watched on TV how the Japanese boxing icon Naoya Inoue easily demolished the Filipino International Boxing Federation (IBF) number one contender Michael Dasmariñas via knockout in the third round last Sunday, June 20. We saw how the undefeated Nippon boxer scored three downs in the fight through hard shots at Dasmariñas liver to finish him off.

The Pili, Camarines Sur-born Dasmariñas absorbed his first devastating and ugly defeat, his third loss with 30 wins, 20 of them via knockouts and a single draw, while the hard-punching Inoue improved his unblemished record with 21 victories and 18 of them via the short routes. According to the world’s boxing experts, Inoue’s latest victory considered him now as the number two “pound-for-pound” (from number three) behind world’s middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez of Mexico.

Meanwhile, the international boxing latest news is about the coming clashes of two well-known Filipino reigning bantamweight (118 lbs.) titleholders, the Talibon, Bohol-born Nonito Donaire of the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the Ormoc City, Leyte native John Riel Casimero of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) purposely to unify the two divisions. The merger-battle will be on August 14 (one week before the much-ballyhooed Pacquiao-Spence welterweight title tiff) to be held in Carson City, California and the winner of these two Filipino ring warriors will next meet Inoue for the unification of the three boxing groups, WBC, WBO and IBF.

Being an avid boxing enthusiast since I was a child especially during the time of WBA junior lightweight (130 lbs.) champion Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, I believe this will be the first time that two Filipino world champions will clash against each other for a world unification bout. Yes, the two Filipino protagonists are both hard punchers, so it’s very difficult to guess who will be the better boxer. The five-foot-seven Donaire, 38, already experience with four divisions titles: the flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight (although he failed to claim the super bantamweight title when he lost to Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux by decision on April 2013). In other words, he has better skills than Casimero with 47 wins out of which 27 via knockouts and lost six times.

Yes, Donaire punches harder than Casimero, but the shorter Leyteño (5’4”) is younger, 32, and more agile and also has the winning knockout punch – he knocked out 21 opponents in his 30 fights and lost four times. Donaire is just fresh from knocking out Frenchman two-time Olympian (2012, 2016) Nordine Oubaali to reclaim the WBC bantamweight tiara and this victory put him as the world’s oldest bantamweight champion (so far). Donaire already lost to Inoue via unanimous decision, 116-111, 117-109, 114-113, on November 7, 2019 in Saitama, Japan. That was a hell-for-leather fight. We saw how the two combatants displayed their fantastic powers: Inoue absorbed a lot of punishments from Donaire that resulted in breaking Inoue’s nose and fracturing his orbital bone. But did not go down. Admittedly, there’s no quitting in Japanese culture. They’d rather die and Inoue had this in him. Inoue prevailed because of that knockdown, got more speed and landed more punches and his amazing perseverance paid off. And now Donaire is hell-bent to battle Inoue anew but he has to beat his compatriot Casimero first to receive the return bout opportunity.

Come August 14, I pick Donaire to win over Casimero. Hopefully, I will not eat my words.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. TITUS 2: 13-14

 

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