PERHAPS Japanese superstar Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue should have nipped the problem that is Johnriel Casimero right in the bud.
The unbeaten Inoue, who holds the WBA and IBF bantamweight straps, was supposed to square off with WBO titleholder Casimero in April, but the fight was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When boxing cards in the US resumed in June, not a few thought the unification showdown would finally push through. Inoue suddenly had a ‘change of plan’ and instead negotiated for a showdown with Australian Jason Moloney. The two are now booked to square off on October 31 in Las Vegas.
Casimero offered only one explanation for the cancellation of the fight with Inoue. “Takot kasi si (Bob) Arum at ‘yung Monster, eh,” he told this writer.
Casimero may be speaking the Gospel truth. In his last outing (November 2019), Inoue had to dig deep in his arsenal to hack out a unanimous decision win over Filipino Nonito Donaire Jr. Inoue was supposed to hammer the final nail on Donaire’s boxing career but was instead tested to the limit. Inoue broke his nose and suffered eye socket fractures in the rumble with Donaire.
While Inoue still emerged victorious against Donaire, his confidence took a hit. Not a few believe that had Inoue demolished Donaire in a wink of an eye, he would have proceeded with the unification fight with Casimero. But with his confidence on shaky grounds, Inoue opted to delete Casimero from his hit list and pursue another fight.
Casimero, however, is not going anywhere.
Casimero stayed in contention for a future fight with Inoue by knocking out in three rounds Ghanaian challenger Duke Micah in Connecticut. Micah came in with an unbeaten record of 24-0 with 19 knockouts and a background story seemingly lifted from a lost Rocky script. Micah grew up in dirt poverty in Accra, Ghana, and he and his twin brother were forced to live with their grandmother after their parents broke up. Micah started boxing at around 8 years old and by the time he was 14 he was already training with Ghana’s national boxing team.
Micah represented his country in the 2012 London Olympics but lost to eventual bronze medalist and current featherweight contender Michael Conlan. Micah turned pro in November 2012 and amassed an unbeaten streak, but it did not take Casimero that long to unmask him as a pretender.
Micah sneaked in a number of hard left jabs and right hands in the opening round, but Casimero took charge in the second round by flooring Micah with a solid left hook. Micah was clearly on wobbly legs, but instead of tying up Casimero he foolishly traded with the Filipino.
Micah barely survived the second round and even received a reprieve when the ring physician checked his condition just when the third round was about to start. It made no difference as Casimero went full-throttle on offense, pursuing a wobbly Micah. Casimero charged ahead and finished off Micah with a devastating left to the body-right uppercut combination.
Casimero improved his record to 30-4 with 21 knockouts. Casimero has been on a roll since losing to countryman Jonas Sultan in September 2017. Casimero took Sultan lightly and paid the price with a decision loss.
