By Nick Giongco
Filipino champion John Riel Casimero is the heavy underdog in his unification bantamweight showdown with Japanese sensation Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue on April 25 in Las Vegas.
Naoya Inoue, left and John Riel Casimero (AP / PSA Photos)
Reports from Las Vegas put Inoue an 11-2 favorite and Casimero a 7-2 underdog in their scheduled 12-rounder at Mandalay Bay.
According to Casimero’s chief handler Sean Gibbons, a measly bet of $2 for Casimero wins $7 while a whopping $11 wager wins a mere $2.
Instead of getting discouraged, Gibbons is ecstatic, Vegas being Vegas, most probably.
“I love it,” he said when told about the numbers.
Gibbons has promotional rights over Casimero and two other Filipino world champions Jerwin Ancajas and Pedro Taduran as well as being the head of Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions.
Casimero just capped his fourth week of conditioning training in Miami with strength coach Memo Heredia and a string of Cuban strategists including the decorated coach Pedro Roque.
But Casimero is about to relocate his training camp from sunny Florida to the neon lights of Las Vegas on March 15.
Chief trainer Nonoy Neri is reuniting with Casimero and training assistant Ting Ariosa in Miami before proceeding to Sin City.
If victorious against the heavy-handed Inoue, Casimero will add the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation crowns to his World Boxing Organization title.