Casimero opts to stay in US
WORLD Boxing Organization ( WBO) bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero will not be going back to the Philippines without SECURING A fiGHT IN THE United States (US).
International matchmaker and MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons and Casimero’s elder brother personal trainer Jayson confirmed to The Manila Times on Sunday that the three-weight world champion would be staying in Las Vegas to train for now while waiting for Japanese unified world titleholder Naoya Inoue.
“We need to get Casimero in top shape,” said Gibbons, adding that he is exploring a lot of options right now if Inoue, the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association bantamweight champion, won’t be able to make it to the US by the end of July.
“If no Inoue fight in 2020, we need to make money. I am looking at a lot of options, but nothing [final] yet,” added Gibbons, who is taking care of Casimero’s training and billeting in a Las Vegas apartment since February.
The Casimero-Inoue unification showdown was supposed to happen on April 25 in Las Vegas. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was postponed.
Top Rank chief Bob Arum revealed to TheManilaTimes last week that Inoue is struggling because of visa problem. Arum is looking to make the fight happen in Las Vegas sometime in September or October with at least 2,000 paying audience.
But Gibbons said they are looking for other options such as facing American Rau’shee Warren, Mexican Pedro Guevara or Australian Jason Moloney.
“I’m looking at Mexican Pedro Guevara and others,” said Gibbons as he expressed his other options for Casimero ( 29- 4 record with 20 knockouts) to fight by around September or October.
Warren (17-3 record with four knockouts) lost to reigning World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali of France last January 19, 2019 before bouncing back with a unanimous decision win over Gilberto Mendoza last February 15.
Guevara, 31, is holding a 36- 3- 1 record with 21 knockouts while Moloney is sporting a 21- 1 record with 18 knockouts.
Moloney is fresh from an impressive seventh round technical knockout win over Leonardo Baez last June 25 at Top Rank’s boxing bubble event in Las Vegas.