Manny Pacquiao Promotions president Sean Gibbons believes that John Riel Casimero will find himself in a bigger challenge against Cuban veteran Guillermo Rigondeaux when the two bantamweight champions clash on Aug. 14 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
This after WBC champion Nonito Donaire withdrew from the fight after the negotiations went into naught due to issues that involved Casimero’s camp as well as the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) testings.
“I think we’re fighting the tougher fight, we’re fighting the guy who beat Donaire,” Gibbons told ESPN’s Mike Coppinger. “He’s only had one bad fight in his life and that was fighting a guy two divisions bigger than him, Vasiliy Lomachenko. Guillermo Rigondeaux … dude has a lot of life left in him.
“We’re taking on a very difficult challenge,” added the MP Promotions chief.
Rigondeaux was the initial opponent set against Casimero, who will defend his WBO title as announced last April.
