Mabilis pa sa "Alas Quatro"
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 20 Apr 2019
Union City, California: John Riel Casimero is on a mad dash past the four o?clock bell. The former two-weight-division champion known as ?Quadro Alas? (?Four Aces? in Tagalog) is on a fast track to regaining old boxing glory.
Casimero?s 118-pound debut in Manila last February resulted in a TKO 6 win over Kenya Yamashita of Japan.
The goal is a third and fourth world crown in as many weight divisions.
By the looks of it, he is halfway there; and he gets another chance to extend his title quest tonight.
He battles prospect Ricardo Espinoza Franco of Tijuana, Mexico for the interim WBO 118-pound championship at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
The off-the-air title fight has the makings of a donnybrook.
Top photo: Casimero (R) weighs in at 116.8 lbs to Franco's (L) 117.8 lbs during Friday's weighin in Los Angeles. Photo by Jhay Otamias.
(L-R) John Riel Casimero with Morris East.
Both combatants have the propensity to swing for the fences.
Casimero has won 5 of his last six; the loss being to Filipino compatriot Jonas Sultan at 115 pounds in Fresno, California last September 16th, 2017.
That fight was a medium-rare All-Filipino world championship fight.
Casimero?s counterpart for tonight?s big sarsuela is twenty-one year old, college student Ricardo Espinoza Franco who carries into the ring a knockout streak of ten.
?We are grateful for the opportunity. Our stablemate John Riel is excited to fight for the interim championship belt,? Morris East, Casimero?s Las Vegas-based registered boxing manager, expressed to Philboxing.com. ?John Riel Casimero is once again hungry for the championship. Our team thanks Mr. Tom Brown of TGB Promotions for the chance and Sean Gibbons for the matchmaking.?
Tonight?s card is part of boxing?s renaissance in Southern California and is promoted by Tom Brown and TGB Promotions at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Here is the line-up (courtesy of the California State Athletic Commission and BoxRec.com).
? Danny Garcia, 34-2-0 (20 KO) vs Adrian Granados,20-6-2 (14KO)
(vacant WBC Silver Welterweight Title)
? John Riel ?Quadro Alas? Casimero, 26-4-0 (17 KO), Omoc, Leyte, Philippines vs Ricardo Espinoza ?Hindu? Franco, 23-2-0, Tijuana, Mexico
(Interim WBO 118-pound championship)
? Brandon Figueroa, 18-0-0 vs Yonfrez Parejo, 22-3-1
(Interim WBA 122-pound championship)
? Andy Ruiz, 31-1-0 vs Alexander Dimitrenko, 41-4-0 (HEAVYWEIGHT)
? Jorge Cota, 28-2-0 vs Jeison Rosario, 18-1-1 (Middleweight)
? Alfredo Angulo, 24-7-0 vs Evert Bravo, 24-9-1 (Super Middleweight)
? Ricky Lopez, 20-4-0 vs Joe Perez, 14-3-1 (Featherweight)
? Carlos Balderas, 7-0-0 vs Luis May, 21-13-1 (Lightweight)
? Omar Juarez, 2-0-0 vs Dwayne Bonds, 3-1-1 (Super Lightweight)
? Raymond Muratalla, 6-0-0 vs Jose Cen Torres, 13-11-0 (Super Lightweight)
? Rolando Romero, 8-0-0 vs Andres Figueroa, 9-4-0 (Lightweight)
? Shon Mondragon, 1-0-0 vs Hugo Rodriguez, 0-3-0 (Super Bantamweight)
? Nelson Hampton, 4-2-0 vs Phillip Bounds, 0-2-0 (Lightweight)
Author?s Notes:
My kumpadres Rudy Teodosio, Raul Rodriguez and Tom Macasaet and I send our best wishes to Team John Riel ?Quadro Alas? Casimero. Win or lose on your U.S. debut, you have our thanks. SALUDO KAMI!
Happy Birthday to my mom Cristina Pasaoa Rivera today April 21, 2019.
She would have been 80 today.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Emmanuel Rivera, RRT.
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