IT’S not in Johnriel Casimero’s career map to become a sensational road warrior; but fate has molded him into a travelling multititled world champ.
Casimero, 30, captured the WBO bantamweight crown with an amazing stoppage of the popular and highly favored South African Zolani Tete in Birmingham, England, on Sunday.
The first word Casimero uttered was the name of Noaya Inoue, the unbeaten Japanese boxing superhero who recently decisioned Nonito Donaire in a classic encounter in Saitama, Japan.
Come on Monster, let’s fight, Casimero was overheard crying after finishing off Tete in three rounds.
Inoue has reportedly manifested instant interest in fighting Casimero.
Inoue is the IBF/WBA bantamweight champion, Casimero the WBO bantamweight titlist.
It was actually Manny Pacquiao who originally made the wish for Casimero to fight Inoue, bared Sean Gibbons, head of the Manny Pacquiao Promotions which handles Casimero.
Pacquiao was at ringside in August when Casimero beat Mexican Cesar Ramirez at the San Andres Gym in Manila.
Pacquiao had obviously been mentioning a possible clash with Inoue while Casimero was training hard in Las Vegas for the Tete assignment.
For the record, Casimero has registered crown conquests in various capitals. Only two of the 10 championship wins happened at home. He has won world titles in Argentina, Mexico, China,
Panama, twice in England; also interim titles in the USA and Nigaragua.Casimero has lost on the road in Thailand and South Africa.
Casimero said he his being tagged an accomplished road warrior meant nothing to him.
He said it was his job to go wherever his fights are scheduled, nothing more.
Meanwhile, there’s a strong likelihood Casimero’s biggest road fight could happen in Japan.
A flash report by philboxing.com founder and chief editor Dong Secuya said Casimero’s victory over Tete has become a hot topic in the ongoing WBO Convention in Tokyo.
Secuya said WBO president Paco Valcarcel said the Casimero-Inoue unification fight will be tabled in the WBO Convention.
Valcarcel said MP Promotions president Gibbons will be coming to Tokyo to discuss the Casimero-Inoue fight.
Secuya said the WBO Convention has been very excited about an Inoue-Casimero unification championship. INQ