Major and Latest Boxing news in Ghana
John Riel Casimero: I didn’t expect early win over Duke Micah
World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion, John Riel Casimero, says he was shocked to have knocked out Duke Micah in three rounds of their bout last Saturday.
The powerful Filipino knocked down Duke Micah in the second round and stopped him in the th
Advertisement
ird round of their scheduled 12-round fight for Casimero’s WBO bantamweight title last Saturday.
Referee Steve Willis stopped the action at 54 seconds of the third round in the opener of Showtime Pay-Per-View’s six-fight event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Conncticut, USA.
The 31-year-old Casimero (30-4, 21 KOs), a three-division champion made the first defence of the WBO bantamweight title he won last November 30 by knocking out South Africa’s Zolani Tete (28-4, 21 KOs) in the third round in Birmingham, England.
The 29-year-old Micah, the 11th-ranked contender for Casimero’s championship, suffered the first defeat of his seven-year pro career (24-1, 19 KOs).
“In the first round [I hit him with] a body shot and [I heard], ‘Ooh!,’ ” Casimero said. “Then I hit him with a hook and I heard, ‘Oh, sh-t!’ I think maybe first round [I would knock him out], but that’s a good boxer. … Duke Micah, all my punches, he eat. But he has a strong chin. I’m surprised because my prediction is one hit maybe, because I’m strong, man.”
Referee Steve Willis warned Micah at the start of the third round that he needed to show him something or he would quickly stop the bout. He took several more power punches from Casimero, which made Willis step between them to stop the action
Micah drilled Casimero with a straight right hand about 40 seconds into the second round. A left hook by Casimero knocked Micah to the canvas just before the halfway point of the second round.
Micah was hurt badly, but he answered Willis’ count. Casimero tried his best to finish off Micah, who somehow managed to survive his onslaught.
Micah went to the canvas again with 37 seconds to go in the second round, but it was the result of a slip, not one of Casimero’s punches.
Casimero connected with a right hand about 50 seconds into their bout that made Micah hold him. Casimero landed a hard right to Michah’s body in the final minute of the opening round, but
Micah clipped Casimero with a right hand that backed up Casimero with about 15 seconds to go in it.
Both boxers threw punches after the bell sounded to end the first round, though none of those shots landed.
