Philippines, 17 Sep 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


No problem for Casimero


PhilBoxing.com




WBO bantamweight champion JohnRiel Casimero put his act on full display in his first US pay-per-view appearance and called out the big names in the 118-pound division to come forward after demolishing previously unbeaten Ghanaian challenger Duke Micah in 0:54 of the third round at the Mohegan Sun Hotel and Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, yesterday morning (Manila time). It was Casimero’s first defense of the crown he wrested from South African Zolani Tete in Birmingham last November.

Casimero, 31, said he didn’t expect Micah to engage but it was a welcome surprise. “Akala ko tatakbo at mag-boboksing sa labas kasi Olympian siya,” he said. “No sweat. Pati si (MP Promotions head) Sir Sean (Gibbons), hindi pinawisan. Trabaho lang. Pinagtiyagaan ko ito. Malakas din at matibay si Micah. Undefeated siya pero dahil sa hard work naging easy fight.” Micah, 29, paid the price for standing up to Casimero although late in the first round, rocked the Filipino with an overhand right to the head. In the second stanza, the Ghanaian was dropped by a left hook to the temple and never recovered from the blow. Before the round ended, he tumbled to the canvas once more but referee Steve Willis ruled it a slip. After the bell rang to start the third canto, Willis summoned the ringside physician to examine Micah who seemed to be concussed. Willis warned Micah that if he didn’t show anything more, the fight would be stopped.

When Willis resumed hostilities, Casimero rushed in for the kill. A brutal left uppercut to the chin wobbled Micah and Willis quickly stepped in to halt the carnage. Throughout the short-lived contest, Casimero taunted Micah who was thoroughly outgunned. Casimero connected 52 percent of his power shots and landed more blows, 59-26. To celebrate the win, he did six one-handed push-ups in the ring. In the post-fight press conference, Casimero entertained the media by relating how Micah would grunt after taking shots to the body, mocking super WBA/IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue and laughing at his own broken English. He raised his record to 30-4, with 21 KOs.


Casimero interviewed by the author.

Casimero said he wouldn’t consider the fight to be his best showing so far. He said the best is yet to come with a boyish grin in a video chat from his hotel room about an hour after the disposal. Someone said he showed Mike Tyson-like power but Casimero just shrugged it off. He’ll come home to the Philippines on Oct. 9, spend the holidays with family then go back to the US for his next fight in January or February. “Stay focused lang palagi,” he said.

Gibbons said Casimero would’ve knocked out Inoue if the Japanese fought instead of Micah. Casimero was supposed to take on Inoue in a triple unification championship showdown in Las Vegas last April but the fight was cancelled because of the pandemic. Inoue is booked to take on Australian Jason Moloney in Las Vegas on Oct. 31 and Gibbons wondered why not Casimero since the Filipino has been in the US since February. “Takot sa akin,” said Casimero. “Hindi siya ang Monster, ako ang real Monster. Si Inoue ang Japanese turtle.” Inoue remains Casimero’s target but if the Japanese continues to be elusive, Gibbons said there are other big-name fighters to consider, including regular WBA bantamweight titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba, the winner of the Dec. 12 WBC championship bout between titleholder Nordine Oubaali of France and mandatory challenger Nonito Donaire, Jr. and undefeated newly-crowned WBC superbantamweight king Luis Nery of Mexico.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 15 SEPTEMBER 2025: Crawford Snatches Canelo's Undisputed Crown at 168 Lbs; Inoue Defeats Akhmadliev to Retain 4 Superbantam Belts; Crocker Outpoints Donovan
    By Eric Armit, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • TICKET NEWS: EUBANK JR-BENN II ON SALE FROM THIS WEDNESDAY
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • “Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Canelo-Crawford: The Consolidation of Boxing’s New Commercial Empire
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • A New Era for Boxing: Canelo vs. Crawford Shatters Global Viewership Records on Netflix
    By Dong Secuya, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Kurt Scoby and Josh Popper Headline Boxing Insider Card September 19 in Times Square
    , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Green and Gold 2025: Amateur Boxing’s International Gathering in Bolivia
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025
  • Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Smarts over power
    By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
    , Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Earns Silver Medal at Inaugural World Boxing Championships
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • 21-year-old Filipino wins at Germany rapid chess tournament
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Nagoya Nightmare: Naoya Inoue Notches One-Sided Decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Inoue’s Philippine Connection: Which Pinoy Super Bantamweight Could Challenge “The Monster?”
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Yoseline Perez Advances to the Finals at the World Boxing Championships Perez Set to Face Chinese Taipei’s Hsiao-Wen Huang for 54-Kilogram World Title
    , Mon, 15 Sep 2025
  • Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • A Masterpiece of Boxing: Terence Crawford Dethrones Canelo Alvarez in Historic Showdown
    By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 14 Sep 2025
  • LEWIS CROCKER IS CROWNED THE NEW IBF WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
    , Sun, 14 Sep 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.