FORMER world champion Tacy Macalos knows Michael Dasmarinas faces an enormous task in his bid to dethrone unbeaten unified champion Naoya Inoue.
He doesn’t mind.
“Alam namin dehado kami. Pero pagsikapan namin na ipakita sa kanila na laban talaga kami,” the 55-year-old boxer turned trainer told Spin.ph US correspondent Jhay Otamias after wrapping up training at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood, California.
Macalos, who reigned as International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight champion in 1988, will be in the corner of Dasmarinas when he takes on Inoue in their 12-round title fight on June 20 (Manila time) in Las Vegas.

It will be the biggest fight for the 5-foot-7 Filipino, who will be gunning for his first ever world title. He hasn’t fought an opponent of the caliber of Inoue, who is unbeaten in 20 fights and has 17 KOs to his name.
But the Filipino challenger is hardly undeterred, according to Macalos.
“One hundred percent ang ipapakita namin sa laban,” said the trainer, who compiled a 29-12-3 record with 12 KOs in an 11-year pro career.
Dasmarinas (30-2, with 20 KOs) is fighting in the U.S. for the first time, arriving in California almost two weeks ago.
But Macalos said Inoue’s mandatory challenger has already adjust well to the time zone and assured Dasmarinas will give the Japanese champion a competitive fight by next week.
“Yung kundisyon niya okay na. Naka-recover na siya,” said Dasmarinas’ trainer.
The small Filipino contingent will leave for Las Vegas this week.
In contrast, Inoue’s camp has been in Vegas since June 9.
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