GAB Steps Into the Casimero Affair; Quadro Alas Camp Clarifies Matters
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 06 Dec 2022
The Games and Amusements Board, through GAB Officer-in-Charge Atty. Ermar U. Benitez and Boxing Division Chief Jackie Lou Cacho-Ornido, has stepped in to look into former three divisions world titlist Johnriel Casimero's recent comeback fight versus Ryu Akaho in South Korea that ended in a controversial no contest by ruling of a Japanese referee.
Ornido said the GAB through OIC Atty. Benitez is sending its letter-protest to the Korea Boxing Member’s Commission to request a thorough review and seek clarification or reversal of the decision. She added GAB is with Casimero in this protest as they are also in disbelief of the result.
Meanwhile Stephen Lunas, personal cutman and adviser of Casimero, issued the following clarifications:
1. The reason why it was held in Korea is because Japan has just recently opened the country for tourist I believed last Oct. and the boxing match between Casimero and Akaho has been planned way back the month of July. So at that time Japan was still close for tourism due to Pandemic and South Korea was already open for tourism. So the Promoters decided South Korea will be the venue because they didn’t know at that time when will Japan open its country for tourist.
2. Since the fight was promoted by two Japanese boxing promotions the A sign and Treasure Boxing promotions, they picked whoever the referee is and also the judges. We really didn't care about it because we know Champ Casimero will stop Akaho early in the fight.
3. Actually when they planned this fight there were three countries as possible venue, namely: South Korea, Japan and the Philippines. South Korea was the promoter’s choice in the end.
According to Ornido, Casimero has no existing boxer-manager contract registered with and approved by the Board.
There has also been speculations as to who is actually handling Casimero as a certain Jose de la Cruz represented him in South Korea and it has been circulating that he is now associated with Egis Klimas, the well known manager of Baltic fighters.
Casimero has been in a spate of misfortunes this year including his disqualification from making his scheduled title defense in the UK that led to the stripping of his WBO world bantamweight title and his long lay-off.
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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