| |
|
Breaking: Casimero versus Donaire - An All-Filipino Unification Fight on August 14
By Ed de la Vega, DDS PhilBoxing.com Sun, 20 Jun 2021

Philippine boxing has really reached the crest!
In the old days, matchmakers will not put two Filipino world champions on the same weight division with two different belts in a unification fight in order to have more Filipino champions. “Mas mabuti kung marami tayong champions”, (It's better if we have more champions) they used to say.
But things had changed.
This change will be more vividly manifested on August 14th when WBO bantamweight king John Riel Casimero will tangle with Nonito Donaire, Jr., the new WBC bantamweight title holder.
Casimero was supposed to defend his belt against the Cuban spitfire, Guillermo Rigondeaux but latest information from Sean Gibbons of the MP Promotions indicates that Rigondeaux is out and Donaire will take his place.
The fight will be at the Dignity Health Center in Carson, California, the site of many memorable fights in the past years.
When Donaire recently won the WBC belt, he stated that he wants to unify the bantamweight belts. He wants a re-match against Naoya Inuoe for the WBA and IBF belts the Japanese holds.
He also wants the WBO belt that is currently in the possession of John Riel Casimero. Donaire indicated that he is not particularly happy to fight a fellow Filipino, but he does not have a choice if he wants to unify all the belts and be called the King of the Bantamweights.
According to Sean Gibbons of the MP Promotions, Casimero also wants to unify the belts and be the “first Pinoy in history to unify the belts”. Therefore, when the opportunity came, he said “Heck yes!”.
Rigondeaux apparently left for Cuba already. Whether he was given a “step-aside fee” is not yet clear. But that would not be too far fetched.
Stay tuned for more. The official announcement is said to be made at the fight between Inuoe and Dasmariñas at the Virgin Hotels tonight June 19th, 2021 Vegas time.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 3 MARCH 2026: Navarrete Stops Nunez; Parra Jnr Outpoints Pierce; Wins by Emiliano Vargas and Abel Ramos By Eric Armit, , Wed, 04 Mar 2026Team Philippines Crowned Champions of the 2026 Predator WPA Teams World Championship , Wed, 04 Mar 2026IBA President Umar Kremlev calls for radical reform of the Olympic Movement and equal rights for athletes , Wed, 04 Mar 2026Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaiman: Boxing—A Spectacle of Masses and Millennial Stages By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Tue, 03 Mar 2026Golden Boy Promotions Vs Virgil Ortiz Jr going to arbitration? By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 03 Mar 2026Boxlab Promotions Signs Undefeated Nicaraguan Knockout Artist Jordan “La Cobrita” Orozco , Tue, 03 Mar 2026STACKED MARCH 14 UNDERCARD SHOWCASES GOLDEN BOY’S NEXT GENERATION OF CHAMPIONS , Tue, 03 Mar 2026The Perfect Boxing Prospect 12-0 Marco Romero , Tue, 03 Mar 2026Quietly formidable boxers Kristian Prenga & Pyrce Taylor continue Their assault on the heavyweight division , Tue, 03 Mar 2026“Prince” Albert Pagara Flies to Perth for WBC Australasia Title Fight By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 02 Mar 2026Ryan Daye vows a dominant standout performance in WBC title Clash March 13 in Perth Thunderdome 53 , Mon, 02 Mar 2026Moncal, Mag-aso rule Legacy Run By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 02 Mar 2026Lavant Brownlee Earns Gold, Lorenzo Patricio Earns Silver at Strandja 2026 Boxing Tournament , Mon, 02 Mar 2026Influencer Brooklyn Barwick Disputes hometown decision for NBA Americas Featherweight title , Mon, 02 Mar 2026HALL OF FAMER WINKY WRIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN 2026 HALL OF FAME INDUCTION WEEKEND FESTIVITIES , Mon, 02 Mar 2026Reyes Siblings New Champions in US chess tourney , Mon, 02 Mar 2026Lorenzo Parra Delivers Stunning Second-Round Knockout at Sold-Out Manny Pacquiao Promotions Event at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y. , Sun, 01 Mar 2026Almacen Bros Score Knockout Wins in Exciting Brico Santig Show in Thailand Live on TrillerTV By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026Lorenzo Patricio and Lavant Brownlee Advance to Gold Medal Round in Bulgaria , Sun, 01 Mar 2026HALL OF FAMER TIMOTHY BRADLEY JR. TO RETURN TO CANASTOTA FOR 2026 HALL OF FAME INDUCTION WEEKEND , Sun, 01 Mar 2026Paras stops Abcede in 2nd round By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026Undefeated Welterweight Ruben Aguilar Stops Luis Lopez in Eight Brutal Rounds in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ at University of Texas in Arlington , Sun, 01 Mar 2026Patricio, Brownlee and Awinongya Enter Medal Rounds on Day Five of Strandja 2026 Boxing Tournament , Sun, 01 Mar 2026Matthew James Sugatan wins Flash-ADV 160 9-Ball Tournament at Pacman's Cue Club; pockets P30,000 By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026IM Arca finishes in eight place in Pacquiao chess; NM Ilar pockets P100,000 By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 01 Mar 2026 |

|
|
|
|
|