Fighting on last night’s big, six-fight card on Showtime P-P-V, WBO bantamweight boss John Riel Casimero scored an impressive stoppage win over an unbeaten but largely unknown fighter in Duke Micah. The third-round stoppage win was impressive because Micah is a puncher, and often when an unknown quantity gets a title shot he can prove to be dangerous. Casmimero never allowed the 24-0(19) Micah to get into the fight.
Casimero, now 30-4-1(21) made a successful first defence of the title he ripped from Zolani Tete last year, and in his post-fight interview he made it clear who he wants to fight next: the guy he should have fought back in April – “Monster” Naoya Inoue.
“I’m the real monster. Naoya Inoue is scared of me. I would have knocked anyone out today,” Casimero stated. “If Inoue doesn’t fight me, then I’ll fight Guillermo Rigondeaux, Luis Nery, or any of the top fighters.”
It really is a shame that Inoue-Casimero unification clash did not happen. Fireworks were pretty much all but guaranteed, the thinking went, before the coronavirus and Inoue’s inability to travel ruined things. Maybe, hopefully, the fight will still happen. If anything, it’s simply an even bigger fight now. Casimero, at age 31, seems to have really found his groove. In the meantime, “Monster” Inoue, 19-0(16) and the reigning WBA/IBF 118 pound ruler, has to come through okay in his October 31 fight with Jason Moloney.
Inoue has not fought since his thrilling war with Nonito Donaire, which Inoue won via 12 round decision back in November. Casimero made a successful return from enforced inactivity last night (the Micah win his first action since the Tete win, also in November of last year) – now Inoue has to do the same to keep this great match-up alive.
Casimero is utterly convinced he knocks out Inoue, and Inoue has to prove otherwise. Who wins if this long-awaited fight finally takes place? Let’s see how Inoue looks in the Moloney fight. Moloney, 21-1(18) being another fighter vowing to KO the Japanese star.
