At A Glance
- Former Filipino world champion John Riel Casimero is finally getting a shot at relevance as he takes on Mexican fight champion Luis Nery in a super bantamweight bout in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan at the Gazprom Sports Complex on April 18.
Former Filipino world champion John Riel Casimero is finally getting a shot at relevance as he takes on Mexican champion Luis Nery in a super bantamweight bout in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan at the Gazprom Sports Complex on April 18.
More than the World Boxing Association gold title at stake in the 12-round bout, the fight is seen as a big break for the 37-year-old Casimero, who is seeking a second wind to his career and earn a shot at 122-pound undisputed king Naoya Inoue.
But Nery is certainly no pushover as he is a former two-division titleholder who reigned at the bantamweight and super bantamweight divisions and even challenged Inoue in the past.
Nery and Casimero aren’t strangers to each other either as they also traded banters when they were once primed for a fight back in 2020.
Between the two, however, Nery seemed to be at a better fit even after the tough sixth round knockout loss to Inoue, winning his last two bouts against Kyonosuke Kameda and Sathaporn Saart to hike his record to 37-2 record with 28 knockouts.
Casimero, on the other hand, had a roller-coaster run through his last four bouts, compiling a 2-1-1 record — including a loss to Kameda in October last year.
The three-division champion is boasting a 35-4-1 record.