John Riel Casimero during a super bantamweight fight against Saul Sanchez in Yokohama, Japan.–Photo from Treasure Boxing Promotion
MANILA, Philippines–Only one thing’s for sure amid a gloomy and uncertain future for John Riel Casimero: He won’t be fighting in Japan anytime soon.
Casimero has been banned for a year by the Japanese Boxing Commission after failing to make weight ahead of his super bantamweight bout against Saul Sanchez in Yokohama, Japan.
The 35-year-old Casimero was two pounds over the 122-pound limit on his first attempt on the scale before officially coming in at 123 1/4 lbs on his final try.
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He went on to beat Sanchez, a former title contender, by first-round stoppage–a result that would’ve opened the door for the former three-division champion to bigger fights had it not been for another weight issue.
It’s not the first time that the Filipino boxer has missed weight.
In December 2021, Casimero was a no-show during the official weigh-in ahead of his mandatory title defense against Paul Butler in Dubai, claiming he was rushed to the hospital due to viral gastritis.
The clash was rescheduled in April 2022 but Casimero wasn’t allowed to fight after he broke strict medical policy by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) for using a sauna to cut down weight before a bout.
READ: John Riel Casimero’s bid to fight Naoya Inoue hits snag
As a result, he was stripped of his WBO crown.
On Sunday, Casimero called out Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue again after his TKO win over Sanchez. He and Inoue were supposed to fight in April 2020 but their showdown was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the possibility of that fight happening seems even more far-fetched after another weight blunder by Casimero.