Work doesn’t stop for John Riel Casimero despite postponed fight

FILE – John Riel Casimero works the mitts with Cuban trainer Pedro Roque. Photo from Team Casimero

MANILA, Philippines—John Riel Casimero isn’t taking it easy after his title unification fight against Naoya Inoue got postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Casimero, the WBO World bantamweight champion, was set to face Japan’s Naoya Inoue, the IBF and WBA champion, on April 25 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino but the fight was put off as a precautionary measure.

Already in Las Vegas, Casimero (29-4) continued his training and hasn’t let up since, posting his workout regimen on his Youtube channel “Quadro Alas it’s my boy.”

In a fan interaction, Casimero expressed his confidence in fighting Inoue (19-0).

“Let’s pray that I can put him down,” said Inoue in Filipino. “We’ll break his face guys. Just watch how I will beat The Monster from Japan.”

Casimero, who held the IBF World light flyweight and flyweight titles, captured the interim WBO World bantamweight championship in April 2019 after beating Ricardo Espinoza Franco for the strap.

He ultimately became the sanctioning body’s full champion in November 2019 after beating Zolani Tete in Birmingham while also bumping his winning streak to five matches.

Inoue, meanwhile, defeated Nonito Donaire in November 2019 to unify the IBF and WBA titles in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series in Saitama, Japan.