Dasmariñas still not used to fanfare ahead of second crack at IBO title

Michael Dasmariñas during his open workout at Kerry Sports in Taguig. Photo by Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.bet

All the media attention Michael Dasmariñas got on Wednesday reminded him of the last time he fought for a boxing crown.

“It was nothing like this,” a smiling Dasmariñas told INQUIRER.net in Filipino during a press conference at Kerry Sports in Shangri La at the Fort in Taguig.

Dasmariñas, who is tipped to become the next Filipino world champion, should get used to the fanfare especially if he beats Karim Guerfi of France for the vacant International Boxing Organization world bantamweight title on April 20 in Singapore.

The 25-year-old Dasmariñas (27-2, 18 KOs) knows Guerfi, who is the No. 4 fighter in the WBC ranking, is a quality opponent.

“He’s not a nobody. He’s ahead of me in the WBC ranking and he also has a good record like me,” he said.

Dasmariñas, the Camarines Sur native, thinks the fight is a tossup, although he believes he has the advantage when it comes to punching power.

“We’re both volume punchers and we’re almost equal in speed but he doesn’t hit that hard,” said Dasmariñas, who started boxing when he was nine years old in Bicol and decided to continue his boxing career in Manila at 18 after he graduated high school.

His trainer and former Filipino world champion Tacy Macalos also sees Dasmariñas’ power and footwork as his edge.

Macalos said Dasmariñas also has to embrace the underdog label and use it to his advantage.

“It will serve as a challenge and motivation for him to work much harder and win the title,” Macalos said in Filipino.

Dasmariñas, who is in the second of his four-fight contract with Ringstar Boxing, dropped a close decision to Lwandile Sityatha of South Africa for the same belt in the super flyweight division in 2014.