STORY OF PHILIPPINE BOXING PART LVII: JOHNRIEL CASIMERO, WORLD LIGHT FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 10 Jul 2020
Johnriel Casimero was born on February 13, 1990 in Ormoc City, Leyte. His moniker is Quadro Alas which means Four Aces.
He had his professional debut on June 3, 2007 winning over Lobert Bayo by unanimous decision at Barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City.
In his succeeding fights, he stopped Andrew Pal by 2nd round TKO, Dodong Zalde by 2nd round KO, Jerome Bontog by 3rd round KO, Roel Honor by 1st round TKO, and Roemart Sentillas by 3rd round TKO.
Casimero also defeated by UD, Rogen Flores by TD, and Daryl Amoncio by MD.
On August 23, 2008, Casimero defeated Rodel Quilaton for the vacant Philippines Boxing Federeration (PBF) flyweight title, winning a unanimous decision at the Eusebio Sestoso Memorial Coliseum, Alcoy, Cebu.
In his 11th fight, he defeated his first foreign opponent, Thailand's Liempetch Sor Veerapol by 5th round TKO on October 3, 2008 at the Talisay Sports Complex, Talisay, Cebu and won the vacant WBO Asia Pacific flyweight title.
His next victim was countryman Allan Ranada by 8th round UD on May 8, 2009 at Naga Sports Complex, Naga City, Cebu.
Casimero successfully defended his WBO Asia Pacific title by stopping fellow Filipino Ardin Diale by 8th round KO on May 28 2009 at the Cebu Coliseum, Cebu City.
On December 19, 2009, Casimero won the vacant interim WBO light flyweight title, by defeating former interim WBA light flyweight champion César Canchila of Colombia at the Dennis Martínez National Stadium, Managua, Nicaragua.
Casimero fought a magnificent bout, the fight was his first match outside the country. He floored Canchila several times until the referee finally stopped the bout in the 11th round of the interim title fight.
Casimero fought Mexico's Ramón García Hirales on July 3, 2010 for his first defense of the interim WBO light flyweight title but lost by split decision at the Polideportivo Centenario, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico.
Casimero did well in the early rounds, but fatigue caught him in the middle rounds and Hirales dominated the fight till the end. Only American judge Joe Garcia favored Casimero, 115-113. While the other two were Mexicans, Rosario Lizarraga and Alejandro Lopez Cid both scored 115-113 for their countryman Hirales.
Casimero again lost to South African Moruti Mthalane by 5th round TKO on March 26, 2011 at the Nasrec Indoor Arena, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa for the IBF junior flyweight title.
He regained his old fierce form by annihilating Roemart Sentillas by 2nd round TKO on October 15, 2011 at the Hoops Dome, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
On February 11, 2012, Casimero and his team were attacked by a hostile crowd in Argentina after his spectacular 10th-round knockout of local Argentine fighter Luis Alberto Lazarte at the Estadio Club Once Unidos in Mar del Plata, Argentina for the vacant IBF interim junior flyweight championship.
He floored Lazarte twice in the 9th round and knocked the Argentinian again in the 10th prompting the referee to stop the fight. The fans of Lazarte started throwing chairs and debris right after the referee declared Casimero the winner.
The police escorted Casimero and his team to their hotel and provided security for the visiting Filipinos. Lazarte later visited them to apologize.
On July 19, 2012, Casimero was declared as the regular IBF junior flyweight world champion because of the inability of Ulises Solis to defend his title on or before October 30, 2011 because of injuries sustained in a street fight with fellow Mexican fighter Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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