Don’t look now but Naoya Inoue might already have found a challenger for his planned March 2021 return.
As per the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Inoue is mandated to make a must-defense against Filipino Michael “Hot and Spicy” Dasmariñas, according to the fighter’s official representative Sean Gibbons.
“He has been waiting for a long time to get his chance,” Gibbons said yesterday from Los Angeles.
Gibbons said the IBF has sent out a notice telling the parties involved that Inoue will have to defend the IBF 118-lb throne, and probably even the World Boxing Association crown, against the top Filipino contender.
Dasmariñas, 28, originally from Pili in Camarines Sur, hence his catchy and tangy nickname, is training in La Union, hopeful that Gibbons puts a deal in place for an Inoue clash.
If Inoue declines not to defend against Dasmariñas, Gibbons said Inoue will have to vacate the IBF and Dasmariñas “can fight for the (vacant) IBF title.”
“The IBF wouldn’t allow a step-aside fee and Inoue has no choice but to defend against Dasmariñas.”
Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank is proposing to showcase Inoue again in the first quarter of 2021 following his smashing showing against Australian Jason Moloney last 30 October in Las Vegas.
Gibbons said he will call up Inoue’s promoter Akihiko Honda to determine what steps to take for Dasmariñas to finally secure a crack at the unbeaten Inoue (20-0 with 17 KOs).
A southpaw, Dasmariñas (30-2-1 with 20 KOs) has fought thrice in Singapore and once each in South Africa, China and Japan.
A few days ago, Arum floated the names of Filipinos John Riel Casimero and Jerwin Ancajas as candidates to land an Inoue showdown.
Casimero was originally scheduled to face Inoue last 26 April but the coronavirus knocked that fight off alongside other scheduled matches during the same time.
Ancajas was likewise thrown into the mix since he, like Inoue, also fights under the Top Rank banner.
But Gibbons insists that Inoue has nowhere to go but fulfill his obligation to clash with Dasmariñas.
Art Monis, who manages Dasmariñas, sent him and his other fighters, including IBF minimumweight titlist Pedro Taduran up north so they could train under a more ideal and safe setting.
“The situation in Metro Manila is hard so I just sent them to a place in La Union where there are no (COVID-19) cases,” Monis added.
