WBO bantamweight (118 lbs) champion Johnriel Casimero was originally scheduled to fight WBA-IBF counterpart Naoya “The Monster” Inoue of Japan in April, but the fight was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many expected the unification bout to finally take place following the resumption of boxing cards in the US in June but for some reason, Inoue opted for another fight.
Inoue’s camp initially claimed the fighter was having problems securing a US visa, but this may not be entirely accurate because the Japanese superstar (19-0, 16 knockouts) is actually making his return on October 31 in Las Vegas against Australian challenger Jason Moloney (21-1, 18 knockouts).
A disappointed Casimero ended up settling for a fight in Connecticut against unbeaten but untested challenger Duke Micah of Accra, Ghana. Making only his second appearance on US soil, Casimero vented his frustration on Micah and pulverized the hapless challenger in three rounds.
Micah, a former Olympian, actually got off to a good start by keeping Casimero at bay with a good left jab-right straight combination in the first round. Casimero kept the pressure though and landed some mean body shots. In the second stanza, Casimero floored Micah with a well-timed left hook. Micah beat the count, but he barely survived the round as Casimero swarmed all over him like sauce on spaghetti.
Early in the third round, two wicked uppercuts from Casimero snapped Micah’s head and forced referee Steve Willis to intervene and waive the fight over at the 0:54 mark.
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Casimero improved to 30-4 with 21 knockouts and made his first successful defense of the WBO crown he won in November against Zolani Tete. More importantly, Casimero’s impressive performance kept him within spitting distance of Inoue.
In the post-fight conference, Casimero did not mince any word in taunting Inoue. He called Inoue a “Japanese turtle” for foot-dragging on their unification bout. He added that Top Rank Promotions head honcho Bob Arum has been hiding Inoue under the bed to prevent the fight from coming into fruition.
Make no mistake, Casimero has plenty of options on the table. At least two prospective foes have been mentioned: newly crowned WBA “regular” bantamweight champ Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba and WBC junior featherweight (122 lbs) titlist Luis Nery of Mexico.
Rigondeaux (20-1, 13 knockouts) is one of the best counterpunchers in the business and holds a decision victory over Filipino Nonito Donaire Jr. in 2013. Rigondeaux is already 40 years old but still has a tricky style that can frustrate opponents. The problem with Rigondeaux is his unsavory reputation as a boring fighter.
Nery, 31-0 with 24 knockouts, is a Mexican slugger whose list of Filipino victims include Jason Canoy and Arthur Villanueva. Last September 26, Nery defeated Aaron Almeda to win the vacant WBC junior featherweight (or super bantamweight) title.
The WBA “regular” bantamweight belt Rigondeaux holds is secondary to the ‘super’ version Inoue holds. If Casimero really wants a unification bout at 118 lbs, he might as well gun for Inoue’s WBA belt which is the legit crown. On the other hand, if Casimero opts for Nery, he will have to move up in weight. A fight with Nery easily makes for an attractive scuffle considering the Mexican’s all-action style in the ring. The only problem with Nery is his reputation as a user of performance-enhancing drugs. Some three years ago, Nery was stripped of his WBC bantamweight crown after testing positive for a banned substance. The 25-year-old Nery claims he has turned in a new leaf.
A win over Nery will also give Casimero his fourth division crown following title triumphs in the junior flyweight (108 lbs), flyweight (112 lbs) and bantamweight categories. In the history of Philippine boxing, only Manny Pacquiao, Donnie Nietes and Donaire Jr. have won at least four division titles. Pacquiao actually holds the all-time best record of eight division titles.
Amid the options on the table, Casimero remains fixated on Inoue. If Inoue prevails over Moloney, expect Casimero to again raise the clarion and call out Inoue.
Truth be told, the pressure is now on Inoue. The prognosis is that Inoue’s confidence took a hit when he was hurt and taken to the full 12-round distance by Donaire Jr. last year. If Inoue dispatches Moloney in impressive fashion, a unification bout with Casimero may be the only way to go. As the popular boxing adage goes, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
