Morris East Back with The Money Team; Okay With Casimero- Rihondeaux Matchup
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 01 Apr 2021
East (L) and Casimero in Las Vegas.
Former world champion now Las Vegas-based boxing manager and trainer Morris Santillan East said recently that after recovering from a long bout with naso pharyngial cancer, he is back as part of Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s 'The Money Team' as trainer-consultant.
East, who also remains as Johnriel Casimero's legal manager until the end of their contract next year following a recent out of court settlement, said that he is okay with possible matchup between WBO bantamweight champion Casimero and Cuban WBA regular titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux.
I think the feeling is mutual, East said. It appears that a fight versus Naoya Inoue, the WBA super, IBF and Ring lineal champion would not happen this year. Rigondeaux has come out recently that he is spoiling for a fight with Casimero. And for Johnriel, Rigo is the next best available foe after Inoue.
Inoue is set to make defense of his titles against IBF mandatory challenger Filipino Michael Dasmariñas in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19.
The other remaining champion, WBC titleholder Nordine Oubaali of France is committed to defend his crown versus Filipino mandatory challenger and former multi division world titlist Nonito Donaire.
Therefore, a Casimero and Rigondeaux matchup with their titles at stake will be natural at this point, East said.
East said he is confident that Casimero will take care of the business against Rigondeaux despite earlier odds favoring the former bemedaled Cuban Olympian and unbeaten unified junior featherweight champion.
Rigondeaux (20-1-0) reigned long as unified world 122 lbs champion before challenging the then also still unbeaten unified world super featherweight titlist Vasily Lomachenko where he suffered his first and only career defeat.
After two winning fights, Rigo moved down to 118 and won the vacant WBA regular belt by outpointing Liborio Solis in February last year. He has not fought since.
Meanwhile, Casimero last fought in September last year after his supposed unification versus Inoue in April fell through, stopping erstwhile undefeated Ghanaian challenger Duke Micah inside four rounds.
Casimero won the interim WBO belt by knocking out Mexican Ricardo Espinosa Franco and defended it also by knockout over another Mexican Cesar Ramirez. He added the regular WBO title to his collection by flattening the erstwhile highly regarded Zolani Tete of South Africa inside just two rounds of their fight held in Birmingham, UK late in 2019.
Casimero has previously reigned as world champion at light flyweight and flyweight. He has won all his last six fights, all by knockout.
East feels that Casimero is hitting his primest peak while he thinks Rigondeaux, already 40, may already be on the decline. Rigo may not be as fast and quick and powerful as before, he said.
East is the youngest world champion from the Philippines at 19 years old when he knocked out Japanese Akinobu Hiranaka, conqueror of El Chapo Edwin Rosario for the WBA junior welterweight crown in 1992.
As a trainer, he helped Zab Judah and also Nonito Donaire in their championship heydays. He also trained the young Devin Haney, now WBC lightweight champion.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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