Kota Kaneko (L) and Michael Casama (R) at Friday’s weigh-in. Photograph from Sanman Promotions
Filipino boxer Michael Casama pulled off a major upset on Saturday, stopping Japanese featherweight prospect Kota Kaneko within the first spherical at Korakuen Corridor in Tokyo, Japan.
Casama (10-2-1, 10 knockouts) caught Kaneko (5-1, 4 KOs) strolling right into a left hook halfway by the primary spherical which wobbled Kaneko’s legs. The wild swinging Casama continued to fireside away with each fingers as Kaneko tried to carry and canopy up. Kaneko by no means went down however Casama by no means stopped touchdown, forcing the referee to cease the bout on the 2:05 mark of the spherical.
It was a surprising flip of occasions for the 23-year-old Casama, a local of President Roxas in North Cotabato province within the Philippines. Casama had been 1-2-1 in his final 4 bouts, together with a stoppage loss to unheralded journeyman Pablito Canada in 2022, and a fifth spherical stoppage to Japanese prospect Junya Shimada in his earlier bout 10 months in the past.
🚨📢UPSET ALERT
Large upset in Tokyo because the beforehand 9-2-1 Michael Casama stops the beforehand 5-0 Teiken Prospect in Spherical 1!
Casama was 1-2-1 in his final 4 fights earlier than tonight! pic.twitter.com/UFQC3geFsn
— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) July 6, 2024
“I discovered from my two earlier losses so I educated double time for this bout as a result of I needed to provide a greater life for my household, particularly my child. I promise I’ll do higher in my subsequent bout,” stated Casama, who’s promoted by Sanman Promotions and managed by Percy Consolacion.
Kaneko, 26, of Tokyo, Japan is signed to Teiken Promotions and had turned professional in June of 2022 in a six-round bout. Saturday’s bout with Casama was his fourth scheduled eight-rounder.
In different motion, Subaru Murata (7-0, 7 KOs) of Tokyo scored a sixth spherical stoppage of Bryan James Wild (12-1-1, 6 KOs) of the Philippines in a ten-round junior featherweight battle of southpaws. Murata, 27, dropped Wild from an accumulation of punches within the fourth spherical earlier than the bout was waved off at 1:49 of the sixth.
Former title challenger Shokichi Iwata (13-1, 10 KOs) of Tokyo scored his fourth straight victory on the cardboard, stopping the beforehand unbeaten Jahzeel Trinidad (11-1, 6 KOs) at 1:10 of the sixth spherical of their ten-round junior flyweight struggle. The 28-year-old Iwata had fought Jonathan Gonzalez in 2022 for the WBO junior flyweight title, shedding a unanimous choice.
