Casimero sets title defense

MANILA, Philippines — There’s no turning back for WBO bantamweight champion JohnRiel Casimero. A unification showdown with super WBA/IBF titlist Naoya Inoue was supposed to be held in Las Vegas last April 25 but the pandemic put it in cold storage then the Japanese got cold feet in the freezer.

Now, both Inoue and Casimero are going their separate ways with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who’s linked to the unbeaten “Monster,” probably reserving the duel for when he can rake in a bundle from a live audience. Inoue may or may not be afraid of Casimero but Arum’s calling the shots and his priority is business. Arum is lining up WBO No. 1 contender Jason Moloney of Australia as Inoue’s next opponent. Top Rank’s Carl Moretti recently said the Inoue-Moloney fight “appears likely” and is in “advanced talks.” It shouldn’t be a problem arranging the bout since Inoue and Moloney hold Top Rank contracts.

Casimero has been in the US since February, first working out in Miami with Memo Heredia and now training in Las Vegas, living close to MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons’ home. With the Inoue fight held back, Gibbons arranged for Casimero to stay active and has booked a spot in a Showtime pay-per-view event at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut on Sept. 26. Casimero will make a voluntary defense of his WBO crown and Gibbons is looking for a suitable challenger.

“Casimero’s disappointed that he won’t face Inoue but it’s out of his control and Casimero, as a world champion, is moving on,” said Gibbons yesterday. “He waits for no one. If all goes well, Showtime has lots of fights and opportunities.” It’s not certain if Casimero will return home after the Sept. 26 bout but if Showtime lines up more fights with bigger paydays, he might just stay in Las Vegas.

Gibbons said beyond Casimero’s next fight, opponents in line could be Inoue, Mexico’s Luis Nery and Cuba’s Guillermo Rigondeaux. Nery, 25, is a southpaw with a 30-0 record, including 24 KOs. A former WBC bantamweight champion who was stripped of the title for failing to make weight in his first defense, Nery is known as a tormentor of Filipinos with Jether Oliva, John Mark Apolinario, Richie Mepranum, Raymond Tabugon, Arthur Villanueva and Jason Canoy among his victims.

Gibbons said it’s unlikely Casimero’s trainer Nonoy Neri will be back for the September outing. Neri joined Casimero in Miami last March then relocated to Las Vegas with the fighter but returned home to Davao last July after the Inoue fight wasn’t reset.

Reviewing the WBO top 10 rankings, three are Filipinos – No. 3 Mike Plania, No. 5 Michael Dasmarinas and No. 10 Vincent Astrolabio so they’re not options for Casimero. Moloney is No. 1 but he’s facing Inoue next. No. 2 is Ghana’s 40-year-old Joseph Agbeko, a two-time IBF champion who’s coming off seven straight wins but hasn’t fought since April last year. One of his victims in the streak was Filipino Juanito Rubillar in 2015. Gibbons said Agbeko isn’t an option. A noted boxing matchmaker described Agbeko as “horrible” and said he shouldn’t even be rated, adding it would be unfair to fans to pit him against Casimero.

Gibbons said he’ll search for a world-ranked fighter from Mexico and a possibility is WBC No. 8 contender Alejandro Santiago who held IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas to a split draw in Oakland in 2018. Santiago, 24, has a 21-2-5 record, with 11 KOs.  The drawback is Santiago has a Sept. 21 date with Willibaldo Garcia to defend his WBC international bantamweight title. Santiago could cancel the fight against Garcia for the chance to battle Casimero. With six weeks to go before Casimero’s defense, Santiago would be a logical challenger since he’s been in the gym getting ready for Garcia.