MANILA, Philippines – Japan's Naoya Inoue made light work of Filipino challenger Michael Dasmariñas, knocking him down thrice en route to a third-round technical knockout win to defend his WBA super and IBF bantamweight belts at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time).
In the second round, the heavily favored Inoue dropped Dasmariñas to the canvas with left hook to the body.
That was the beginning of the end for Dasmariñas, who continued to absorb heavy body shots from the Japanese pug.
Liver ... Liver ... Game Over, #AndStill inside of 3 rounds.
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 20, 2021
Try to not wince while watching this. @naoyainoue_410 is just on another level. ???????????? #InoueDasmarinas pic.twitter.com/hIl1G9MQPo
Inoue knocked down Dasmariñas twice more in the third round with the same brutal left to the body, prompting the referee to stop the bout.
Watching ringside were Inoue's fellow bantamweight champions Nonito Donaire Jr. (WBC) and John Riel Casimero (WBO), who will figure out in a showdown of their own on August 14 (August 15, Manila time).
It will be the first all-Filipino title unification match, and the winner could well end up as Inoue's next opponent.