CASIMERO CAPTURES SECOND DIVISION WORLD TITLE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 26 May 2016
Former IBF light flyweight champion John Reil Casimero avenged his controversial loss to previously unbeaten Thai world flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng with a dramatic 4th round knockout at the Diamond Stadium in Beijing, China on Wednesday night in a highlight of the IBF Annual Convention.
It was a sudden and shocking turnaround by Csasimero whose veteran trainer Jhun Agrabio had predicted Cassimero would ?win by a landslide just like president-elect Rody Duterte? whom the Casimero camp had openly supported.
Amnat who won a controversial decision in their first meeting in Thailand when American referee Larry Doggett allowed the Thai champion to get away with numerous infractions including two takedowns and failed to call a clear knockdown in round three while ruling a knockdown when Amnat pushed Casimero to the canvas , was bitterly criticized for his terrible performance prompting co-managers Sampson Lewkowicz and Sammy Gello-ani to ask the IBF to retain Casimero?s No. 1 ranking and sought a rematch which the IBF agreed to.
Amnat again resorted to his roughhouse tactics and once again sent Casimero to the canvas as the champion tripped over a loose lace on his boots but when the action resumed in the 4th round and Amnat tried to exchange with the Filipino at close range, Casimero exploded with a counter left hook to the jaw and the champion went down in a heap on his hands and knees with his head down on the canvas.
Casimero went after Amnat in somewhat reckless fashion and got caught with a couple of Amnat punches as the champion tried to turn the fight around behind his jab and footwork before the champion put his hands up to protect his jaw only to give Casimero a chance to land a vicious left hook to the liver as Ruenroeng, in a somewhat delayed reaction grimaced and sank to the canvas with his back tangled under the bottom of the ropes.
Referee Tony Weeks whose appointment was welcomed by the Casimero camp, confident he wouldn?t allow the champion to resort to dirty tactics as in their first fight, counted out Ruenroeng at 2:10 of the 4th round.
Casimero rejoiced over his vengeful victory in a rematch where he was behind by a shutout on the scorecards of two of the three judges 30-27 while the third judge had Amnat ahead 29-28.
With the win Casimero became a two-division world champion and Lewkowicz according to the internet site Bad Left Hook immediately called out pound for pound No. 1 and unbeaten Roman ?Chocolatito? Gonzalez for a unification bout saying ?tell him we are ready any time.?
Lewkowicz who now has three world champions in his stable said a unification bout between Casimero and WBC champion Gonzalez needs to happen.
He claimed ?they say no one wants to fight Gonzalez. We do! John Reil is right here and ready to unify the championships. My phone is always on, let?s make it happen."
Ruenroeng who was awarded the Jersey Joe Walcott ?Fighter of the Year? award by the IBF because of his string of title victories had established himself as one of the world's best flyweights after winning the title from Filipino Rocky Fuentes in 2014 and defending it successfully five times against Kazuto Ioka of Japan, McWilliams Arroyo of Puerto Rico, China?s Zou Shiming and Casimero.
Patrick Stumberg of Bad Left Hook posed the question, ?does Casimero stand a chance against the likes of Roman Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Estrada (WBO/WBA champion)? Probably not, but this is a major win for the young Filipino.?
Team Casimero who was extensively featured in two, one hour specials on the top-rating Viva Sports weekly program ?The Main Event? on Pinoy Box Office over SkyCable is scheduled to return to a hero?s welcome at 12 noon on Friday and will now get the attention he richly deserves as the third Filipino world champion alongside WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes, the longest reigning Filipino world champion and five division reigning WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito ?The Filipino Flash? Donaire.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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