FILE – John Riel Casimero works the mitts with Cuban trainer Pedro Roque. Photo from Team Casimero
MANILA, Philippines—John Riel Casimero’s camp is looking at July 25 as a possible date for a title unification bout against Naoya Inoue, months after their initial schedule of April 25.
In a story on Philboxing.com, MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons said that they would have a more detailed event plan come “next week.”
“We’ll get a clearer picture of the situation next week,” said Gibbons. “But right now we’re going with the target date of the last Saturday of July, which is July 25.”
Casimero (29-4), the WBO World bantamweight champion, and Inoue (19-0), the holder of the WBA and IBF belts, were originally set to make Las Vegas debuts in April before the COVID-19 pandemic broke.
The Filipino slugger was already in Las Vegas weeks before the bout while Inoue was still in Japan, but the pandemic effectively put a stop to international travels and sporting events indefinitely.
Gibbons said that the July 25 fight date would be perfect for Casimero to train and get into the proper diet before the bout.
“Without a fight date, it’s hard to sustain your intensity in training, it’s hard to focus,” said Gibbons. “But now with a fight date, everyone’s excited and it’s back to serious Monster-hunting business.”
Gibbons added that he’s talked with World Boxing Hall of Famer Akihiko Honda, who’s working closely with Inoue’s team, about The Monster’s commitment to the match.
“I was told by Mr. Honda that Inoue is coming and we’ll be fighting in Las Vegas,” said Gibbons.