Johnriel Casimero Still Has WBO Vote of Confidence?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 28 Apr 2022
It has been more than a week since the World Boxing Organization (WBO) issued Johnriel Casimero a show cause order giving him 48 hours or two days upon receipt to explain his side on the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBOC) decision preventing him in effect to defend his WBO world bantamweight title last April 22, 2022 in Liverpool, UK on account of his violating their "sauna" rule.
It would appear that the WBO has been satisfied with Casimero's response as drafted by top notched lawyers commissioned by his manager Egis Klimas and as stern rebuttal of BBBOC's not too subtle attempt to influence its authority and independence as major boxing sanctioning body, it is not about to defrock one of its deserving and productive champions on the mere basis of violating BBBOC's unfamiliar rule on sauna use.
The BBBOC has earlier contended that Casimero violated its rule banning the use of sauna to cut weight among boxers within the week of their fight. The BBBOC also claimed that Casimero cut ten pounds in three days since arriving in the UK which it said was not only anomalous but also very dangerous to his health.
Hence on the basis of these, the BBBOC did not allow Casimero to attend the weigh-in and his supposed scheduled April 22, 2022 WBO mandatory title defense versus British challenger Paul Butler set in Liverpool, England.
Instead, the BBBOC sanctioned a fight between Butler and world rated Filpino Jonas Sultan which the WBO was forced to approve for its interim world title pending response from Casimero to its show cause order.
Casimero's camp has stoutly disputed BBBOC's claims asserting that Johnriel did not know and was not properly informed of such sauna rule (It was Casimero's people who even posted his sauna visit in the social media). They also denied BBBOC's claim of Johnriel losing ten pounds in three days, maintaining that Casimero had met the weight limit of 118 lbs while still in their USA training camp and that Johnriel was only two pounds over when they arrived in the UK.
It could be recalled that the WBO issued a resolution in the aftermath of the Casimero-Butler failed first scheduled fight in Dubai last December which strictly provided that in any case Casimero failed to make himself available even just in the weigh-in of the rescheduled fight in the UK, his belt would be immediately stripped.
It was clear that Casimero was not only available but willing and able to participate in the weigh-in and most importantly in the fight to defend his WBO crown. It was the BBBOC prohibition that prevented him.
The "in any case" in the WBO resolution should therefore be construed as any case within Casimero's control and the BBBOC prohibition is certainly not his liking or within his control.
So unless the WBO comes up with any ruling to the contrary, it appears that Johnriel Casimero still has the WBO vote of confidence.
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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