Johnriel Casimero of the Omega Boxing Gym of Cebu gave the country a gift five days before Christmas in the form of another world title belt. Casimero beat Cesar Canchila of Colombia by KO at the 11th round in a fight held in Managua, Nicaragua to win the interim WBO light flyweight crown.
Casimero, from Ormoc City,Leyte, was fighting overseas for the first time but was already in Nicaragua nine days before the fight. Promoter Sammy Gello-ani informed through e-mail that Casimero scored multiple knockdowns in the third, sixth and ninth rounds before the decisive 11th canto.
The Spanish language boxing website notifight.com also reported that ?Canchila had his second wind in the ninth, tried to connect to Casimero and pressured inside. But the Filipino managed to press forward and sent the Colombian twice to the mat in round eleven to win via the knockout at 1: 40 minutes of the round.?
(Canchila tuvo un segundo aire en el noveno, trat? de conectar a Casimero, presionar adentro, pero el filipino logr? mantenerse adelante y enviar dos veces a la lona al colombiano en el round once, para imponerse por la v?a del nocaut a los 1:40 minutos del round.)
The popular video website youtube.com also showed the last round of the fight. Casimero cleanly landed his powerful right in scoring two knockdowns. Medical personnel went inside the ring to assist the fallen Colombian as the Filipino corner erupted in celebration.
WBO Asia-Pacific chief Leon Panoncillo also provided information about the fight. He was also ecstatic about Casimero's victory as his organization has always been supportive in the Philippines? search for new boxing talent raring to make a name abroad.
Casimero is now 14-0 L with 8 KO's. He is a gym rat who has been training since July for his next fight until he received word that he would have this title shot; he actually lives inside the IPI Gym in Mandaue City. Casimero won the WBO Asia-Pacific title in Talisay City October 2008 with a fifth round TKO win over Liempetch Sor Veerapol of Thailand. He is trained by Pingping Tepura and assisted for this fight by Nonito Donaire,Sr.
Canchila (28W-3 L, 22KO?s) previously won the WBA version of the title by unanimous decision against Giovanni Segura of Mexico in 2008 but lost to Segura in a rematch by 4th round TKO in March of this year.
Ivan Calderon is the WBO champion in this division and has "super champion" status. By virtue of this title win, Casimero is now a step closer to his dream of fighting the Puerto Rican.
The fight was staged at the Estadio Nacional Denis Mart?nez in Managua as a tribute to the late great Nicaraguan boxing legend Alexis Arguello. The gambit made by International promoter and matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz on the boxer known as ?Quadro Alas? has paid off.
(Photos showing Casimero declared the winner and new champion courtesy of Sammy Gello-ani)
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