CASIMERO TKOS MICAH IN 3RD RD
JOHN RIEL CASIMERO mixed confidence with sheer punching power to end Duke Micah’s unbeaten streak with a clinical third round technical knockout win and retain the World Boxing Organization ( WBO) bantamweight belt on Sunday at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
The pride of Ormoc City obviously vented his ire over a canceled unification bout with Japanese Naoya Inoue on the unwitting Ghanian, pummeling the London 2012 Olympian with crisp uppercuts and solid punches to prompt referee Steve Willis to jump in and stop the fight in the third round.
Casimero celebrated his victory with onearm push-ups after the fight was halted.
“Just like me, he [Micah] really wanted to finish the fight early, and that’s what’s inside our minds. But I was absolutely stronger and faster than him,” the 31-year- old Casimero told the Businessmirror via overseas phone call minutes after his first title defense.
“Right now, all my rivals are afraid of me,” added Casimero, noting Micah was a tough nut to crack in the early rounds, but couldn’t match the intense speed and power of the world champion.
“Micah was a good boxer and he withstood my punches earlier,” Casimero said.
Casimero, however, was mincing respect for his Olympian foe.
Casimero landed few but solid punches— including furious jabs he capped with a short left straight to the temple that floored the Ghanian. Down and wobbled, Micah still fought with a lot of heart despite missing a lot of shots in second round.
Micah missed and slipped as he desperately tried to hit Casimero with a power punch.
In third round, the three- weight division champion delivered the finishing touch— a crisp uppercut— before the referee stopped the bout at .54 seconds to save the 29- year- old Micah from further punishment.
“I could put him to sleep but the referee saved him in the second round,” said Casimero, who improved his record to 30- 4 won-lost with 21 knockouts.
Micah, who suffered his first loss in 25 fights with 19 knockouts, fought aggressively and was the more technicaboxer l in the first round. But he obviously didn’t have the endurance to box relentlessly in the fight staged without fans.
According to Compubox, Casimero made 140 thrown punches with 59 solidly hitting their mark. Micah registered 122 thrown punches and only 26 landed.
After the bout, Casimero slammed the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association bantamweight champion Inoue for not fighting him.
“I am the real monster. Naoya Inoue is scared of me. You are next. I would have knocked out anyone today,” Casimero told Showtime Sports.
In London also on Sunday, Josh Taylor retained his WBA and IBF super lightweight belts after knocking out unbeaten challenger Apinun Khongsong in the first round.
Taylor (17- 0, 13 KO) caught the Thai (16-1, 13 KO) with a left-hand body shot to secure victory after two minutes and 41 seconds at
York Hall.
Apinun rolled off the canvas and left the arena on a stretcher.
The title bout was Taylor’s first fight in 11 months, since winning the WBA title against Regis Prograis.
Of his knockout punch, the Scot told BT Sport: “That sank right in. I felt it sinking in straight away.
“I knew from watching him on videos, he swings on the break when you’re in close on the clinch, he swings straight away always with a hook and an uppercut. I sort of pressed in against him, smothered him up and pushed him against the ropes and as he threw the right hand, I hit him with a left hook which I felt sinking right in.