John Riel Casimero during a super bantamweight bout against Saul Sanchez in Yokohama, Japan. – Photo by Treasure Boxing Promotion
MANILA, Philippines – Given John Riel Casimero's bleak and uncertain future, only one thing is certain: he won't be fighting in Japan any time soon.
Casimero was banned for one year by the Japanese Boxing Commission after failing to make weight ahead of his super bantamweight bout against Saul Sanchez in Yokohama, Japan.
Article continues after this ad
Casimero, 35, weighed two pounds over the 122-pound limit on his first attempt on the scales before officially reaching a weight of 123 1/4 pounds on his final attempt.
READ: John Riel Casimero's future uncertain despite injury-time win
He then defeated Sanchez, a former title contender, by first-round stoppage – a result that would have opened the door to bigger fights for the former three-division champion had it not been for another weight issue.
It's not the first time the Filipino boxer has lost weight.
Article continues after this ad
In December 2021, Casimero was absent from the official weigh-in ahead of his mandatory title defense against Paul Butler in Dubai, claiming he was hospitalized for viral gastritis.
The fight was postponed to April 2022, but Casimero was not allowed to fight after breaching strict British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) medical guidelines by using a sauna to cut weight before a fight.
READ: John Riel Casimero's attempt to fight Naoya Inoue fails
As a result, he was stripped of his WBO crown.
On Sunday, Casimero challenged Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue again following his TKO victory over Sanchez. He and Inoue were scheduled to fight in April 2020, but their showdown was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the possibility of this fight taking place still seems far-fetched after another weight mistake from Casimero.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription was successful.