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Philippines, 20 Apr 2024 |
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AN ANALYSIS - CASIMERO WON?T HAVE AN EASY TIME AGAINST IBF CHAMPION RUENROENG By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Fri, 26 Jun 2015  Many fight fans and even media people fascinated with the theory that a puncher can most of the time get the better of a skilled boxer, believe that mandatory IBF flyweight challenger and former light flyweight champion Johnreil Casimero of the Philippines can power his way to a second world title against champion Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand on Saturday night at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok. We believe that it won?t be that easy against the 35 year old champion whose age is unlikely to tell against Casimero despite the fact that the Filipino is ten years younger. As Casimero?s veteran trainer Jhun Agrabio explained in one of our recent conversations that ?it's not Amnat?s age because he started late as a pro and is fresh.? He actually turned pro in May 2012 and won by a 4th round TKO over Rino Ukru of Imdonesia in his debut. 
Casimero stops Maurico Fuentes on May 3, 2014 in Cebu. Ruenrong subsequently beat three more Indonesians and six Filipinos which included overcoming Michael Rodriguez in an IBF Asia title fight by a unanimous twelve round decision on February 15, 2013 and then followed this up with another unanimous twelve round decision over Julius Alcos to win the IBF Pan Pacific flyweight title on April 19, 2013. Matched against OPBF champion Rocky Fuentes of the ALA Gym, Ruenroeng prevailed handily as Fuentes put on a disappointing showing on January 22, 2014. Amnat?s story is a fascinating one. He began boxing while serving a fifteen month prison sentence for robbery. Time Magazine picked Ruenroeng as one of the Top 100 athletes competing in the Beijing Olympic Games and wrote that Amnat ?signed up for a prison boxing program. Who knew it would turn into his salvation? In 2007, just a year after he first stepped into the prison ring, Amnat had won a national title in the light flyweight division. The day after his victory, he was released from jail on good behavior? and became, as Time mentioned, ?part of a fearsome Thai Olympic boxing squad that boasts of several medal contenders.? The second grade dropout and former drug addict said ?I can?t believe I am on the Olympic team. I should still be in jail.? Ruenroeng was ultimately beaten in the quarter finals of the 2008 Beijing Olympics losing to eventual silver medalist Serdamba Purevdorg of Mongolia who in turn lost to China?s Zou Shiming in the battle for gold. 
Ruenroeng tackles China's Zuo Shiming during their title fight in Macau. In a way Ruenroeng avenged his fifth place finish in the Olympics when he faced the over-hyped Zou Shiming who was trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach. Amnat fought a smart fight and beat him handily in his last title defense in Macau on March 7 this year which clearly boosted Amnat?s confidence. The showdown with Casimero will be Ruenroeng?s fifth title defense in a row while Casimero is on a seven-fight winning streak, earning the title shot after a rousing second round demolition of Armando Santos of Puerto Rico to boost his record to 21-2 with 13 knockouts while the undefeated Ruenroeng has a record of 15-0 with 5 knockouts which is in itself an indicator that the world champion is not a big puncher. However, while Filipino trainer Aljoe Jaro concedes that Casimero is the heavier puncher he believes Amnat is the more skilful boxer with the better technique. Even Casimero?s trainer Jhun Agrabio who supervised his training for the past few months at the Roy Jones Gym in Las Vegas after a brief stint at Big Bear in California with Shane Mosley, told us that from the fight tapes he has studied, its clear that Amnat has ?a good jab, no question. Good footwork? while Boxing Scene?s Cliff Rold points out that in what he calls ?a deep division, Amnat stands out? because he ?wins with skill, patience, defense and guile.? Ruenroeng who is taller than Casimero told a pre-fight press conference last Wednesday that the fight with Casimero would be like the ?Fight of the Century? last May 2 in Las Vegas when undefeated pound for pound king Floyd Mayweater Jr beat eight division world champion in a seeming lopsided decision by the judges which subsequently came under fire. In some respects Ruenoeng is correct. Having watched several of his tapes he does strike us as a smart fighter who throws a couple of punches working behind a quick left jab and then swiftly dances out of trouble. Whenever an opponent engages Ruenroeng he tends to grab and hold which is a tactic that Mayweather resorts to at times. Thailand is considered hostile territory for most Filipino boxers but it makes no difference to Casimero who won the light flyweight title with a 10th round TKO of Argentina?s Luis Lazarte which sparked a major riot by Lazarte?s colleagues from the Truckers Union forcing Casimero to be sheltered under the ring as debris rained all around and fights broke out around the ring apron in Buenos Aires. He traveled to Panama and beat Luis Rios and won a split decision against tough Mexican Pedro Guevara whom he dropped in the opening round with a furious onslaught. When he lost his light flyweight title since he couldn?t make the weight in a defense against Mexico?s Mauricio Fuentes and had to wear ten ounce gloves as a penalty, Casimero bludgeoned the Mexican to score a 1st round knockout with one second to go before the end of the round. 
Casimero, Sonsona and Agrabio with Roy Jones at Jones' boxing gym in Las Vegas. The fight which will be telecast by TV 5 at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday could wind up being a tactical battle similar to Ruenroeng?s victory over Zou Shiming when he basically engaged in hit and run tactics and frustrated the two-time Olympic gold medalist no end. Casimero and trainer Agrabio are prepared to handle such an eventuality. Agrabio exuded confidence when he told the New Standard/boxingmirror.om ? we know how we can handle him even though he?s very fast and won?t engage us. If all they do is run, Cssimero will chase him down, find him and knock him out.? This is exactly what Casimero did in the title eliminator against Santos. He jumped on the Puerto Rican as the bell sounded., pushed him against the ropes and rained punches from all angles hardly giving Santos time to breathe. Agrabio has studied tapes of Ruenroeng?s fights and is confident they know what to do. He concedes however, that ?they have also trained hard and have also studied us. But we have seen where we could exploit weaknesses.? He said the height difference which was accentuated by Ruenroeng who said Casumero ?is small. I am bigger and taller? doesn?t make a difference. Agrabio noted ?they punch, hold and run. They fight for survival.? The trainer who handled ?Marvelous ? Marvin Sonsona when he won the WBO super flyweight title in Canada beating Jose Lopez on September 4, 2009 is quietly confident ?we will win.? He said Casimero ?is confident. No worry. We are ready. Casimero is mentally and physically at his best.? Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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