SPORTS SHORTS 225: JOHN RIEL CASIMERO VS. PAUL BUTLER, NONITO DONAIRE VS. REYMART GABALLO BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE FIGHTS AS ORDERED BY WBO AND WBC
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 23 Sep 2021
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) ordered its bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero to negotiate with Paul Butler for a mandatory title fight. The boxing body instructed both boxers' teams on Wednesday to start dealing immediately so as not to resort to a purse bid.
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“The WBO World Championship Committee hereby orders the parties herein commencement of negotiations for the above-mentioned WBO Bantamweight Mandatory Championship Contest,” Luis Batista-Salas, chairman of the WBO Championship Committee wrote the promoters of both camps.
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“Please be advised that the parties have twenty (20) days upon receipt of this letter to reach an agreement. If an accord is not reached within the time frame set forth herein, a Purse Bid will be ordered pursuant to WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.”
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Casimero is under MP Promotions, headed by its president Sean Gibbons was already informed of the instruction. Paul Butler is promoted by the MTK Global Promotions, represented by Lee Eaton in future negotiations.
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Casimero (31-4, 21KOs) has been the WBO bantamweight champion since a third-round knockout win of Zolani Tete in November 30, 2019 at Birmingham, England. He successfully defended the title twice.
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He scored a third-round knockout of unbeaten Duke Micah last September 26 in Montville, Connecticut and a split decision win over former two-weight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux last August 14 in Carson, California.
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The fight with Rigondeaux was scheduled but was momentarily replaced with a unification bout against Donaire (41-6, 27 KOs) after he won the WBC title from Nordine Oubaali. Both fighters agreed to the terms for an August 14 encounter.
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But Donaire withdrew from the fight due to a conflict in drug testing and allegations of trash-talking and anti-feminist comments targeted at Donaire's wife, manager and trainer Rachel from Casimero’s team.
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Donaire was left vacant without fighting an opponent, while Casimero resumed with the original match with Rigondeaux who proved to be tough and evasive in a split-decision win, 116-112, 113-115, 117-111
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Butler (33-2, 15 KOs), age 32 years of Ellesmere Port, England was once the IBF bantamweight titlist in 2014, and moved to the higher division for a shot at a junior bantamweight title. On March 6, 2015, he lost by an 8th round TKO to Zolani Tete, the IBF 115-pound titlist at the time at the Echo Arena, Liverpool, England.
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After nine wins he lost a twelve-round decision to then-unbeaten Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodriguez in their May 5, 2018 at The O2 Arena, London, England for the vacant IBF bantamweight title.
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Butler, since then has won his last seven fights. In his most recent appearance, Butler scored a ten-round decision over Mexican Willibaldo Garcia this past June in Bolton, England. The victory won him the vacant WBO international bantamweight title and the number-one contender to Casimero’s WBO title.
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The deadline for the mandated talks is October 12, after which a purse bid hearing will be called by the WBO. Either of the two opposing camps can request the fight. Should it reach the purse bid, the fight will be bidded to all interested WBO-registered promoters, and they shall quote at least a minimum bid if $100,000.
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Casimero apologized to Donaire, who accepted the peace offering in an online interview with Powcast Sports. But still there were hitches for a year-end unification fight. Donaire’s adviser Al Haymon says Casimero has turned down the clash with Nonito.
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Casimero’s promoter Sean Gibbons denied they have turned down the fight. What makes it more problematic for the Donaire vs. Casimero fight is that the World Boxing Council ordered Nonito to defend his WBC bantamweight title against interim champion Reymart Gaballo (24-0, 20 KOs).
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The boxing world would prefer to watch Donaire fight Casimero, than see Nonito clash with Gaballo who was not impressive in winning a controversial 12 round split decision over Emmanuel Rodriguez last December.
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Likewise, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is interested in putting up a rematch between his protégé IBF/WBA Bantamweight champion Naoya "Monster" Inoue and Donaire. Nonito now has three opponents to select for his next foe.
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If the WBC is consistent with their order that Donaire will defend against Gaballo in his next fight. Nonito will have to decide whether to take the easier fight or vacate the title and face either Casimero or Inoue.
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“Richard Schaefer tells ESPN he was informed by Al Haymon that John Riel Casimero rejected a 118-pound title unification with Nonito Donaire. Sean Gibbons was interviewed by ESPN, “Nothing’s been rejected; we’re working through some issues,” said Mike Coppinger of ESPN.
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Nonito annihilated WBC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali by a fourth round knockout last May 29, 2021 at the Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California. It's a puzzle that the WBC is hurriedly ordering Donaire to defend his belt mandatorily despite that he just recently captured the WBC belt.
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World's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, Mexican superstar and unified WBA/WBC/WBO super middleweight world champion Canelo Álvarez and undefeated IBF super middleweight world champion Caleb “Sweethands” Plant met for a heated stare down that turned into a melee Tuesday at a press conference.
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During an extended face-off that kicked off their historic and highly anticipated undisputed super middleweight championship showdown, the fighters exchanged words and threw glancing blows before their respective teams rushed the stage to separate the combatants, igniting a rivalry that will be decided on fight night.
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Canelo and Plant will battle on Saturday, November 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with the winner written in boxing history as the first undisputed super middleweight world champion of the four-belt era.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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