CAN CASIMERO MAKE A CAREER TURNAROUND?

We?ve all heard the old boxing adage that a boxer is just one punch away from turning his life around. Johnriel Casimero traveled all the way to Argentina to get that chance. He will face former IBF lt.flyweight world champion Luis Alberto Lazarte for the belt previously held by Ulises Solis. Casimero will rely on youth and size while Lazarte will bank on his experience and crowd support.

Twenty five months ago, Casimero was on the verge of becoming a star when he upset Cesar Canchila by 11th round TKO to win the interim WBO lt.flyweight world title.

Canchila was more experienced, having a 1W-1L record against Giovani Segura, while Casimero was having his first fight overseas in Nicaragua. Seven months later he faded in the endgame against Ramon Garcia Hirales of Mexico and lost by split decision. Last year, in a bizarre fifth round, he signalled that he had enough in his title challenge against Moruti Mthalane in South Africa.

There was something missing in his eyes when I visited him at the Omega gym when he trained for Mthalane. He went through the training regimen but there was no spark, no fire.

I saw a different look when he knocked out Roemart Sentillas last October at the end of the first round. The referee initially thought the blow was after the bell and an illegal punch. The replay showed a different story. Thanks to the television cameras at ringside, the punch was shown to have been delivered milliseconds before the bell rang. Casimero saw an opening and took it.

As the medical personnel at ringside dashed to help the fallen Sentillas, Casimero tapped me from behind. As I turned and looked, he seemed like a kindergarten student showing off his artwork.

The fire was back.

Will we see it burn inside the ring of Mar de Plata?

(Photo above- Promoter Sammy Gello-ani, Casimero and trainer Pingping Tepora)