SPORTS SHORTS 207: JOHN RIEL CASIMERO ANNOUNCES DECEMBER 11 FIGHT WITH NAOYA INOUE OVER YOUTUBE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 31 Aug 2021
WBO world bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero announced over YouTube that he will battle WBA and IBF world champion Naoya Inoue in his latest YouTube video. "So that’s it guys, our next fight, this is a good fight, next December 11, Naoya Inoue. There! Naoya Inoue, let’s go!" Casimero reported in local language.
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Casimero has been poking fun at Inoue for months now allegedly for evading to face him. This time, the Japanese undefeated boxer practically had heard enough of the Filipino champ's pranks and eventually accepted Casimero’s provocation.
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But there were no formal agreements yet and no official announcements from Casimero’s manager Sean Gibbons of MP Promotions and Inoue’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.
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Japan’s Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) and Philippines’ Casimero (31-4, 21 KOs) were scheduled to fight April 25 last year at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the event and other boxing schedules.
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The contact sport resumed later that June, but the fights were done mostly without fans in attendance for most part of the year.
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The top two rated bantamweights ultimately fought their separate foes. Casimero defended his WBO title in a spectacular third round knockout of Ghanaian Duke Micah last September 26 at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut.
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He always mentioned of Inoue before and after his victory purposely to attract sufficient interest to revive the cancelled fight.
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Then he won a split decision over Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux on August 14 at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, in what was considered a very boring fight.
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Inoue instead faced Australian Jason Moloney knocking him out in the 7th on October 31 at the MGM Grand Conference Center, Paradise, Nevada.
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He then stopped Filipino Michael Dasmariñas in the 3rd on June 19 at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada.
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WBC world bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr. recently posted on social media that there are no formal negotiations between him and Casimero. They were scheduled to fight last August 14, but Donaire decided to cancel it due to several emerging issues.
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Most probably, Inoue watched Casimero’s fight against Rigondeaux and heard the Ormoc native demanding a clash with the Japanese during the post-fight interview.
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In his Twitter post, Inoue showed he accepts the challenge from the trash talking champion and once and for all make the aborted unification title match a reality which was put off last year due to the pandemic.
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“Just buy the quarrel that was sold. Please organize a match,” said the world ranked pound for pound boxer. Inoue vowed to "beat him into the ground."
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Nonoy Neri, Casimero's chief trainer, said his ward would like to face Inoue as soon as possible for the biggest fight of his career. “He wants the big fight. He wants Inoue,” said Neri. “But it’s going to be the decision of Sean Gibbons (MP Promotions president).”
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Gibbons had earlier said they are negotiating a deal with Donaire after the earlier agreement failed due to the issue of drug testing. Gibbons wants to have a Casimero-Donaire unification first before the Inoue match.
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But Donaire revealed Casimero’s team has yet to reach out to his promoter. "We are currently weighing real options and will not entertain this as it’s apparent it was just all talk,” wrote Donaire on his Twitter account.
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According to Gibbons, negotiations have started for the Donaire-Casimero clash to finally happen on December 11 in the United States, with the winner facing the Japanese "Monster" Inoue.
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Donaire on his part said a rematch with Inoue is his priority. Obviously, it's a three-corner fight negotiation among the bantamweight champions with Casimero sure of getting one of the two fighting chances.
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Gibbons wants Casimero to be back in the US by the third week of September and start his training camp. Neri consented because he does not want Casimero to balloon in weight for the December 11 tussle.
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Neri thinks either Donaire or Inoue would be a tough opponent and he does not want Casimero to be over confident.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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