CASIMERO BRACES FOR ANOTHER TITLE DEFENSE ON THE ROAD
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 30 Jan 2013
CEBU CITY - IBF jr. flyweight world champion Johnriel Casimero is in the thick of preparations for his March 16 title defense in Panama against Luis Alberto Rios.
Casimero, who fights out of the Omega Gym of Cebu City, has started sparring and even visited the ALA Gym to look for more sparring partners.
?I sparred with Marjun Yap but I have not yet sparred with Donnie Nietes.? Casimero spoke to philboxing at the Omega Gym before his afternoon training session Tuesday. ?I need to look for more sparring partners aside from my Omega gym stablemates. There are good boxers at the ALA gym who can approximate Rios? fighting style.?
The 22 year old Casimero (17W-2L, 10 KO?s) said that he has studied fight films of Rios. ?It will be difficult but he can be beaten.?
The 22 year old Rios (18W-1L-1D, 13 KO?s) earned the right to be the mandatory challenger by stopping Mexican Felipe Salguero in eleven rounds last October. A familiar name on Rios? record is Carlos Melo, who lost to Rios by majority decision in 2009 and had a draw in their 2010 rematch. Five years ago, Melo fought in Cebu City and lost to Milan Melindo by unanimous decision for the WBA Intercontinental lt.flyweight title.
Rios? only loss was by 4th round TKO to Luis Carillo of Colombia in 2010. Boxrec.com notes a shoulder injury in that fight. Rios avenged the loss last year by 5th round TKO.
Casimero said that he will be leaving for Panama on March 10. He will be accompanied once again by Trainer Pingping Tepora and Promoter Sammy Gello-ani. Casimero is also confident that he will not have any problems making the division limit of 108 lbs. This will be the second defense of his title. Last August, Casimero won a split decision in Mexico against Pedro Guevara.
With two world champions based here in Cebu penned for title defences, March promises to be a very exciting month for local fight fans. The aforementioned Nietes will be defending his WBO lt.flyweight world title on March 2 here in Cebu City against Mexico?s Moises Fuentes .
TOP PHOTO- IBF jr.flyweight champion John Riel Casimero inside the Omega Boxing Gym
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