TOP Rank Head Bob Arum said the anticipated bout between World Boxing Organization bantamweight John Riel Casimero and unified world bantamweight titleholder Naoya Inoue of Japan could be held in February or March next year.
“My Japanese partner [Akihiro Honda] said they would like to get Inoue back in action by February or March, the first quarter of next year, and that’s we are going to do,” Arum told BusinessMirror via overseas phone call on Sunday from Las Vegas. “And Casimero is a very good possibility [as Inoue’s next foe].”
Inoue booked a seventh-round technical knockout win over Australian challenger Jason Moloney at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Sunday and Arum said that talks about a unification fight between Casimero and Inoue immediately cropped up.
Casimero and Inoue were supposed to climb the ring in April but the anticipated showdown was shuttered by the Covid-19 pandemic .
Arum, however, doubts if Casimero (30-4 win-loss record with 21 knockouts) could be ready for a fight with Inoue in the first quarter of next year because he only fought last September 26, scoring a third-round technical knockout victory over Duke Micah in Connecticut.
“He can’t get it on by February or March, and that’s Inoue’s next fight. And if certainly, we’ll consider him for that fight if he is ready to do it,” said Arum, noting that a Inoue-Casimero unification bout would be staged before a limited paying audience.
Arum was also elated to the performance of the undefeated International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association bantamweight champion Inoue (20-0 with 19 knockouts), calling him the “younger version” of Filipino pride Manny Pacquiao.
“I thought Inoue looks sensationalized, you know, he reminded me of the young Manny Pacquiao the way he fought and he is just a tremendous fighter with a great footwork, very fast, and he punches like I’ve never seen a bantamweight punch like it,” the 88-year-old international promoter said.
Arum praised Moloney for the tough fight despite being knocked out.
