JOHNRIEL CASIMERO FACES RICHIE MEPRANUM IN ILIGAN CITY
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 25 Jun 2017
Casimero (R) in his last fight against Edwards in England.
Johnriel Casimero's quest for a third world title starts today Sunday, June 25 when he faces former title challenger Richie Mepranum in a 10-round scheduled junior bantamweight fight in Iligan City, Philippines. His promoter Sammy Gello-ani will handle the show at the Iligan Public Market in cooperation with a local promoter. This will be the first fight of Casimero (23-3, 15 knockouts) since September 2016, when he defeated Charlie Edwards by knockout in 10 rounds in England. That was his first and only defense of the IBF flyweight title he won from Amnat Ruenroeng by knockout in the 4th round. He previously held the IBF junior flyweight title.
The 30-year-old Mepranum (31-6-1, 8 konckouts) is on a downswing by losing both of his fights last year. Mepranum lost to the World Boxing Council (WBC) super flyweight king Carlos Cuadras via an eighth-round stoppage in a world title fight and then suffered a second-round technical knockout loss to elite bantamweight fighter Luis Nery. He also fought and lost to Juan Francisco Estrada, defeated Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez and was TKO'd by Julio Cesar Miranda. He has a record of 1-4 (0 KO) against former or current world titlists.
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Seven-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach has now realized that the Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Gollvkin world middleweight championship is now about even. "At one time everyone thought that Golovkin would kill him and so forth, but I don?t think people think that anymore. Alvarez has become a pretty good fighter and he?s really progressed in his career, he?s gotten better and better every fight. He looked great in his last fight and I think him and Golovkin are dead even at this point," Roach told On The Ropes Boxing Radio. "I think it?s a great fight, I think it?s a very good fight. It?s about time that it happens. When the best fight the best, there?s no better sport than boxing. These are two guys that are really good fighters, but GGG didn?t look that great in his last fight and Canelo looked great in his last fight."
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Here's the complete boxing card for the Battle of Brisbane:
Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn, 12 rounds, for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title
Jerwin Ancajas vs. Teiru Kinoshita, 12 rounds, for Ancajas' IBF junior bantamweight title
Michael Conlan vs. Jarrett Owen, 6 rounds, featherweights
Shane Mosley Jr. vs. David Toussaint, 8 rounds, middleweights
Umar Salamov vs. Damien Hooper, 10 rounds, light heavyweight
Brock Jarvis vs. Rasmanudin, 6 rounds, bantamweights
Jonel Dapidran vs. Brent Dames, 6 rounds, junior welterweights
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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