Filipino boxer John Riel Casimero emerged victorious in his first defense of the World Boxing Organization bantamweight crown with a third-round stoppage of erstwhile unbeaten Duke Micah on Sunday (Manila time) at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Micah, a former Olympian from Ghana, replaced Japanese champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue whom Casimero was supposed to fight last April 25 but the bout did not push through. The fight was rescheduled to August and was eventually canceled, as Inoue was unable to get a travel visa to the US because of the pandemic.
The 31-year-old Casimero issued a challenge to the Japanese after the fight.
“(Naoya) Inoue, c’mon you’re not a monster, you’re a Japanese turtle,” he said during the post-fight media news conference. “Inoue is scared [of] me, c’mon you’re next.”
Casimero sent Micah to the canvas with vicious body shots highlighted by a winging left hook in the second round.
Just a minute into the third round, referee Steve Willis stepped in to stop the one-sided bout as Casimero ran over Micah with a flurry of punches capped with a left hook.
The Filipino celebrated his victory with a flamboyant display of six-count one-arm push-up.
