Casama stuns Japanese prospect in Tokyo bout

Michael Casama (right) and Kota Kaneko (left) during the official weigh-in. | Photo from Sanman Boxing’s Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Michael Casama scored a stunning first round technical knockout (TKO) against Japanese Kota Kaneko to emerge as the lone Filipino boxer to win at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, July 6.

Casama, who fights under Sanman Boxing Stable’s banner, was one of the three Filipino boxers who fought in the fight card promoted by Teiken Boxing Promotions dubbed as “Who’s Next.”

The other two boxers, BJ Wild and Jahzeel Trinidad, faltered in their respective fights, but not Casama who only needed two minutes and six seconds to earn the huge upset victory.

READ: Murata TKO’s BJ Wild in Japan

The win improved Casama’s record to 10 wins with 10 knockouts along with two defeats and one draw.

Meanwhile, Kaneko suffered his first defeat in six fights with four knockouts.

READ: Wild, Murata passes weigh-in for Saturday bout in Japan

Casama, a native of North Cotabato, landed a left hook that wobbled Kaneko in the start of the first round.

Kaneko held on for dear life as Casama went for the kill. Casama relentlessly launched a barrage of punches that rocked Kaneko in the next minute, while trying to recover.

The referee had enough to see the carnage and decided to stop the fight with 56 seconds remaining in the first round.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Wild lost to Shokichi Iwata and Subaru Murata both by a sixth round TKO in the fight card.