FILE — John Riel Casimero (L) reacts as Guillermo Rigondeaux gets up after a fall during their WBO Bantamweight title 12 round bout at Dignity Health Sports Park on August 14, 2021 in Carson, California. Michael Owens/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—John Riel Casimero has arrived in Los Angeles to start training ahead of his title defense against Paul Butler on December 11.
The WBO bantamweight champion posted his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on his Youtube channel Quadro Alas It’s My Boy that showed him and his brother Jayson going through the various stages inside the terminal.
“So guys here we are again, we’re back at work. Let’s go, December 11,” said Casimero in Filipino.
Casimero will be making his fourth defense of the strap which he won from Zolani Tete via third round technical knockout in November 2019.
It was a messy road to Casimero’s mandatory title defense over Butler with new outfit Probellum the only company to make purse bid for WBO’s orders.
Richard Schaefer’s Probellum bid $105,000, $5,000 more than the minimum the WBO set for a purse, for the fight that would take place in either Liverpool, England or Dubai, UAE.
Casimero is set to receive 75 percent of the purse while Butler will take 25%.
There have been reports that there has been a falling out between Casimero and MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons resulting in the Philippine-based company to pass on the bidding process.