BoxRec

Naoya Inoue planning midyear return against IBF mandatory Michael Dasmarinas

Dasmarinas has been Inoue’s mandatory challenger for nearly two years

Asian Boxing reports that IBF/WBA bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue, whose brother Takuma claimed the OPBF title earlier today, has a planned opponent and time frame for his first bout of 2020. Per his promoters and others, “The Monster” will “likely” have a homecoming match against IBF mandatory Michael Dasmarinas, which Sankei Sports reports will happen “after the spring.”

The Philippines’ Dasmarinas (30-2-1, 20 KO), who notably scored a monstrous one-punch knockout of Karim Gueri in 2018, secured top contender status with a decision over Kenny Demecillo the following March and stayed busy with a fifth-round finish of Artid Bamrungauea. Following the latter victory and Inoue’s (20-0, 17 KO) brutal war with Nonito Donaire in the WBSS finals, the IBF ordered the pair to fight.

Then Inoue’s doomed unification match with WBO champ John Riel Casimero and a global pandemic intervened

This is basically as good a time as any for Inoue to get this out of the way; Nordine Oubaali’s COVID issues have left the WBC title situation a mess and Casimero has his eyes on a fight with Guillermo Rigondeaux. Ideally, they’ll be in a position to have fans when they finally re-book Inoue-Casimero or Inoue-Rigondeaux

this aint the filipino we want

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑15 Jan 2021, 05:21 this aint the filipino we want

But it's the one we get.

get can go suck a lemon

Another victim on the Inoue knockout express.

Get off the tracks Michael the trains a coming through. Choo choo!

Inoue, Dasmarinas Reach Terms For Mandatory Title Fight, Purse Bid Cancelled

Naoya Inoue hoped to collect more bantamweight titles in 2021 but will first have to endure a Hot and Spicy mandatory challenge.

The undefeated three-division and reigning unified 118-pound titlist will next face Philippines’ Michael ‘Hot and Spicy’ Dasmarinas, the longtime IBF mandatory challenger in waiting. A scheduled purse bid hearing to determine promotional rights was canceled after the two sides reached an agreement, IBF representatives informed BS.com.

A firm fight date has yet to be established for the bout, which will take place in Inoue’s native Japan. Travel restrictions due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic serve as the main roadblock in officially scheduling the contest, which will mark Inoue’s third defense of the IBF belt and second as a unified titlist.

Philippines is currently on Japan’s list of areas subjected to entry ban due to the current global rise in COVID cases, though exceptional circumstances are honored—a luxury normally afforded to boxers entering world title fights.

Dasmarinas (30-2-1, 20 KOs) has served the IBF mandatory bantamweight title challenger since a 12-round win over countryman Kenny Demecillo in their March 2019 title eliminator in Pasay City, Philippines. The belt was tied up in the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) bantamweight tournament at the time, held by Puerto Rico’s Emmanuel Rodriguez who conceded the crown in a 2nd round knockout at the hands of Inoue in May 2019.

Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) went on to win the tournament, securing top honors after outpointing Nonito Donaire in their Nov. 2019 finale to unify the IBF and WBA titles. The bout was recognized by the Boxing Writers Association of America as the 2019 Fight of the Year, though one where Inoue had a mandatory title defense waiting on the other side.

An exemption was granted to allow Dasmarinas’ countryman, WBO titlist John Riel Casimero to enter a three-belt unification clash with Inoue. Dasmarinas and Casimero both fight under eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions banner, easing the process to permit the April 2020 unification bout. The initial wave of the ongoing global health crisis shut down those plans, however, with the fight never revisited.

Dasmarinas has not fought since a 5th round stoppage of journeyman Artid Bamrungauea in Oct. 2019.

Inoue has since defended his titles in a voluntary defense, stopping Australia’s Jason Moloney in the closing seconds of the 7th round in their ESPN headliner last Halloween at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. The bout marked Inoue’s debut under the Top Rank banner as well as his first career fight in Vegas.

The upcoming mandatory defense versus Dasmarinas will mark a triumphant return to Japan for Yokohama’s Inoue, whose last fight in country was his aforementioned win over Donaire. All but three career fights for Inoue have taken place at home.

Dasmarinas has fought just once before in Japan, an eight-round points win over Hayato Kimura in July 2014. The 28-year old southpaw is riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak.

That was quick

Inoue-Dasmarinas: Date, Site Of Fight Depends On COVID-19 Restrictions In Japan

Naoya Inoue and his handlers know who he will fight next.

Determining when and where Inoue will return to the ring is much more complicated. Representatives for Inoue and Michael Dasmarinas, the mandatory challenger for his IBF bantamweight title, reached an agreement recently for them to meet in the coming months and avoided a purse bid.

Ideally, they’d like to schedule Inoue-Dasmarinas for some time in April in Inoue’s native Japan. That’ll depend, however, on when COVID-19 restrictions in Inoue’s home country would allow Dasmarinas to travel there from the Philippines.

ESPN either will televise that fight or offer it on ESPN+, the network’s $6-per-month streaming service.

If it cannot happen within a reasonable amount of time in Japan, Bob Arum, Inoue’s co-promoter, informed Boxing Scene that their 12-round, 118-pound championship match could take place outside of Japan, perhaps in the United States.

“Here’s the problem with Inoue – they want his fight to be in Japan, his next fight to be in Japan,” Arum said. “The problem is, if you’re not from Japan, you can’t get into Japan. There’s a complete lockdown. Even if you’re willing to spend 14 days in quarantine, you can’t get in now. So, to say, ‘Yeah, it’s gonna happen in April,’ who the hell knows? Yeah, we’d love to have him fight in April. But we may have to bring him out of Japan and have him fight someplace else.”

Inoue’s most recent bout – a seventh-round knockout of Australia’s Jason Moloney on October 31 – was held at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. Seventeen of the unbeaten Inoue’s 20 professional fights have taken place in Japan.

“Right now,” Arum said, “being a boxing promoter – putting fights on and scheduling them – more important than my matchmakers would be if I could hire a guy like Dr. Fauci, who will tell me what’s happening.”

The 28-year-old Dasmarinas (30-2-1, 20 KOs) has been the mandatory challenger for the IBF bantamweight title since March 2019. That’s when Dasmarinas defeated another Filipino fighter, Kenny Demecillo (14-5-2, 8 KOs), by unanimous decision in a 12-round IBF elimination match.

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old Inoue (20-0, 17 KOs) will be heavily favored to beat him.

“I hear he isn’t a bad fighter,” Arum said in reference to Dasmarinas. “We just have to decide where we’re gonna do it. If the Filipino guy can’t get into Japan, how do you do that fight there?”

Naoya Inoue vs Michael Dasmarinas set for June 19th in Las Vegas

Dasmarinas is Inoue’s IBF mandatory challenger, having beaten Kenny Demecillo in a 2019 eliminator

It won’t be the homecoming he wanted, but unified bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue will indeed face IBF mandatory challenger Michael Dasmarinas in his next defense. Bob Arum tells The Ring that due to Japan’s mandatory two-week quarantine procedures, the fight will take place June 19th in Las Vegas, ideally with “at least a limited number of spectators”

Dasmarinas (30-2-1, 20 KO) first got the call in December 2019 immediately following Inoue’s (20-0, 17 KO) successful war with Nonito Donaire, only for a planned unification match with WBO champ John Riel Casimero and the COVID epidemic to push him back in the queue. As mentioned before, he boasts a one-punch knockout of Karim Guerfi and defeated countryman Kenny Demecillo to claim mandatory status.

He hasn’t fought since October 2019, while Inoue smashed Jason Moloney this past Halloween.

Arum says he thinks Inoue’s “going to go up in weight” afterwards, though he does raise the possibility of unification with either Casimero or the winner of Nordine Oubaali’s still-pending WBC title defense against Donaire. Of the three, Arum names Oubaali as the easiest fight to put together due to the Frenchman’s advisor and French promoter being “close” to Top Rank.

Who is Michael Dasmarinas, Naoya Inoue’s next opponent and mandatory challenger?

Before we delve into boxing matters, tell us please about your upbringing, your family.

I am a part of 11 brothers and sisters. My father is a farmer and my mother is a housewife. My parents raised me in a life where it’s very happy and simple in the province.

When and why did you start boxing?

I started boxing when I was nine years old, all because of watching the sport on our TV. My older brother was an amateur fighter and even my father was a boxer as well, so that’s why I wholeheartedly embrace the sport of boxing.

Do you remember the very first day in the gym?

Yes, I was very excited to see all the equipment in the gym, like the punching bag, speed ball, and other equipment that I hadn’t seen since I started boxing as an amateur. All I ever know and tried before were the mitts, a punching bag made of a sand bag and a speed rope. So I was very happy to try all of the equipment I hadn’t used before.

Did you take to boxing right away, did you know this would be your main pursuit?

When I was still in my amateur career, I did not commit myself to pursuing the pro ranks because all I ever wanted was to compete in the amateurs in our country and finish high school.

What fights have taught you the most?

As a pro boxer, I had two fights where I lost and I learned a lot from it. I remember my first loss was because I got carried away and I did not really check myself out. I lacked training and I was not really in a good condition before, but I chose to fight regardless. So now I am putting in the work like a champion does even if there’s no fight scheduled yet! Then my second loss happened in Africa due to a split decision. I learned that when you go out of your country and fight where the fighter is in his hometown, you have to make sure to knock the opponent out!

Inoue is very highly regarded. Do you have some ideas on how to fight him?

To beat Inoue, I have to make sure I am at least a level above him and fight with speed, power and precision. I am going out there to give him a good fight and win and I am putting in the necessary work to get that result!

This guy Naoya Inoue is impressive. He really puts his shots together good and he hits hard. I will go with him via stoppage mid to late rounds.

Someone anyone? Will this be the same card as the Chavez Jr. vs Spider Silva and Chavez Sr. vs Camacho Jr.? They are both on the same date.

f read wrote: ↑30 Mar 2021, 16:31 Someone anyone? Will this be the same card as the Chavez Jr. vs Spider Silva and Chavez Sr. vs Camacho Jr.? They are both on the same date.

No, not the same card.

This will be Vegas.

Confirmed!

Dasmarinas was a sparring partner for Takuma in 2019... This won't go well for him

Nothing about this June schedule with the exception of Inoue’s inevitable highlight reel knockout looks appetizing to me.

Mikaela Mayer vs Erica Farias, Adam Lopez vs Isaac Dogboe set for June 19th on ESPN



Naoya Inoue will have some solid support for his June 19th mandatory title defense against Michael Dasmarinas, as Mikaela Mayer will defend her title against Erica Farias in the ESPN co-feature while Adam Lopez faces Isaac Dogboe in the top ESPN+ prelim.

Former Olympian Mayer (14-0, 5 KO) will be making the first defense of her WBO super featherweight title, which she took from Ewa Brodnicka via dominant decision last October. She faces a former longtime lightweight and super lightweight champion in Argentina’s Farias (26-4, 10 KO), who’s coming off a pair of losses to Jessica McCaskill

Mayer said, “I am excited for my first title defense as WBO world champion. Although I had sought a unification bout, Farias is a worthy opponent who will make for an entertaining, action-packed fight. She brings excellent credentials and has only lost to some of the best women boxing today. I’m ready and eager to pass another test and showcase the skills that will eventually make me your undisputed champion.”

“Blunose” Lopez is 2-0 since an admirable last-minute effort against Oscar Valdez, gritting his way through excellent battles with Louie Coria and Jason Sanchez. He’ll presumably have a willing dance partner in former super bantamweight champ Dogboe (21-2, 15 KO), last seen stopping Chris Avalos in his featherweight debut. Expect this one to steal the show.

Lopez said, “Dogboe is a former world champion who always comes to fight. But I’m a different fighter now, and I know what a win would mean for my career. I’m coming to Las Vegas to steal the show.”

By Joe Koizumi

“Monster” Naoya Inoue, unbeaten WBA, IBF bantamweight champion, left Tokyo, Japan for Las Vegas today (Wednesday) in order to defend his belts against IBF mandatory challenger Michael Dasmarinas, a taller southpaw of the Philippines, at the Virgin Hotel on June 19. Naoya confidently said, “I’m in perfect condition, and hope to show my best performance to the world.” He was accompanied by his father/trainer Shingo, brother and ex-WBC interim titlist Takuma and cousin/ex-national champ Koki. Bon voyage.

Dasmarinas not at the level of Inoue's recent opposition but he is a mandatory i suppose, i noticed he had a KO win over Guerfi, Inoue showed against Moloney he has no problems with the eye injury he suffered against Donaire, he should sweep aside Dasmarinas then im sure he'll be targeting Casimero or the Donaire rematch

Inoue is top of the tree stuff has it all , good to see him out fighting again, in these time just good to see him fight

Fight Week!

This will surely be better than Snoozenson..

Inoue looks past Dasmariñas, wants Casimero, Donaire next

Naoya Inoue isn't just looking past Michael Dasmariñas, he's looking at disposing of Johnriel Casimero and Nonito Donaire as well.

Interviewed during the break of the Shakur Stevenson-Jeremiah Nakathila fight last Saturday, June 12 (Sunday, June 13, Manila time), the Japanese fighter bared he intends to become a unified bantamweight champion.

And Inoue, the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation champion, can start by beating Dasmariñas, the mandatory challenger, on Saturday, June 19, at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

Either Casimero, the World Boxing Organization champion, or Donaire, the World Boxing Council titlist, could be next in line depending on what Top Rank big boss Bob Arum decides.

"Right now, my motivation is to unify all four titles, so you have Casimero and Donaire. That is who I want to fight. That is my motivation for now," said Inoue, the huge favorite over Dasmariñas.

The unbeaten Inoue (20-0, 17 knockouts), who arrived in Las Vegas from Tokyo on June 9, saw Stevenson (16-0, 8 KOs) dominate Nakathila (21-2, 17 KOs) to clinch the vacant interim WBO junior lightweight belt.

Whether he can do the same to Dasmariñas (30-2-1, 20 KOs) remains to be seen, but 95% of bettors believe Inoue will prevail and further bolster his pound-for-pound status.

Dasmariñas arrived ahead in the United States on May 31 and is in Los Angeles wrapping up his preparations for Inoue at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

Dasmariñas held his final sparring session last Friday, June 11, and his chief trainer Tacy Macalos and trainer Ting Ariosa believe he is ready to test Inoue's mettle.

According to Art Monis, Dasmariñas' manager, the focus will now be on maintaining Dasmariñas' form and shedding the excess pounds.

Dasmariñas weighed 126 pounds last Saturday and is expected to hit the scales at exactly 118 in the official weigh-in on Friday, June 18. – Rappler.com