If not Inoue, Casimero wants 122-pound champ Nery next

John Riel Casimero after demolishing Duke Micah in their bantamweight title fight in Connecticut, USA. Photo from Showtime Boxing Twitter

MANILA, Philippines — John Riel Casimero remains hellbent on facing Naoya Inoue, who remains on top of his list six months after their unification fight in the US was scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Inoue isn’t the only fighter on Casimero’s radar especially with the undefeated Japanese continuing to be elusive.

“Kung ayaw talaga ni Naoya Inoue na lumaban sakin, aakyat ako para kay Luis Nery para maging four-division tayo pero pangarap ko talaga na ma-unify ang bantamweight,” said Casimero (30-4, 21 KOs), who retained his WBO bantamweight belt after making short work of Ghanaian challenger Duke Micah last Sunday, during Tuesday’s PSA Forum webcast.

(If Naoya Inoue doesn’t really want to fight me, I’m going to move up to fight Luis Nery to be a four-division champion, but my dream is to really unify the bantamweight division.)

“Luis Nery is probably the most exciting fight out there and it will make history for John Riel Casimero,” said Sean Gibbons, president of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, who also mentioned two-division champion Guillermo Rigondeaux as a possible next opponent for Casimero.

Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is a familiar name to Filipino boxing fans with the Cuban beating Nonito Donaire back in 2013.

Luis Nery just won the WBC super bantamweight title after beating fellow Mexican Aaron Almeda by unanimous decision on the same card where Casimero toyed with Micah for three rounds at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

Like Casimero, the unbeaten Nery also packs a punch with 24 of his 31 victories coming by knockout.

The 30-year-old Casimero, though, is unfazed.

“Easy work,” Casimero said of Nery.