Earlier today in Incheon, South Korea, former WBO bantamweight champ John Riel Casimero fought to a disappointing no contest with Japanese fighter Ryo Akaho. Filipino Casimero – who was looking to get a win under his belt in what was his first fight back after 476 days of inactivity, some of this time seeing Casimero suffer from weight problems, with him ultimately being stripped of his WBO bantamweight belt – instead came up short.
Casimero was decked for a flash knockdown in round two, but he was unhurt and soon continued putting the pressure on Akaho. Then, Akaho claimed he had been hit in the back of the head and that he was so badly hurt he could not carry on with the fight, not even after he had been offered a full five-minute period in which to get himself together. The official result is no contest 2. Casimero is now 31-4-1 no contest (21 KO). Akaho is now 39-2-2–1 no contest (18 KO).
Casimero has not won a fight since back in August of 2021, when the 33 year old picked up a somewhat controversial 12 round split decision win over Guillermo Rigondeaux. Either before then or thereafter, Casimero saw two dates with big names fall apart; a fight with Naoya Inoue was ruined due to Covid, while a fight with Nonito Donaire was called off after Casimero launched insults as Nonito’s wife. And then, with Casimero unable to make weight for his fight with Paul Butler in the UK (UK regulations not permitting Casimero to use the aid of a sauna to make weight so close to the fight), he was stripped and Butler became full champion (and landed the big fight with Inoue).
And after yesterday’s comeback fight, one in which he was looking to make an ‘I’m back’ kind of statement, Casimero instead had to take yet more disappointment home with him. Yesterday’s fight and its result is sure to be controversial, with most feeling Akaho made a meal of the shot to the back of his head, a grazing shot as it appeared to be on TV. While others will say we have no way at all of knowing how badly hurt or dazed 36 year old Akaho was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXMecASuVfA
It seems unlikely Casimero will entertain the idea of a rematch, though. In fact, Casimero’s next move is pretty much anyone’s guess. It’s a shame this exciting fighter has seen so many months wasted, this at a time in his career when the big fights were there for him.
