Casimero at Butler magtatapat sa abril sa England

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | January 30, 2022

Itinakda ang panibagong petsa sa naunsyaming pagtatapat nina WBO bantamweight champion “Quadro Alas” John Riel Casimero at dating IBF 118-pound titlist at challenger Paul “Baby-faced Assassin” Butler sa Abril 23 sa hometown ng title contender sa Liverpool, England matapos magtamo ng pre-fight Gastritis ang Filipinong kampeon.

Itataya ng 31-anyos mula Ormoc City sa ikatlong pagkakataon ang titulong napagwagian sa parehong bansa nung Nobyembre 30, 2019 laban kay Zolani Tete ng South Africa na nagresulta sa third round TKO sa Utilita Arena, Birmingham, West Midlands, sa United Kingdom..

Pansamantalang naantala ang paghaharap nina Casimero (31-4, 21KOs) at Butler (33-2, 15KOs) nung Disyembre 11 sa Dubai, United Arab Emirates matapos itong maospital dulot ng nasabing karamdaman, kung kaya’t hindi ito nakadalo sa nakatakdang weight-in bago ang laban.

“Please be advised that the WBO World Championship Committee grants sanction approval for the above-referenced Bantamweight Mandatory bout between John Riel Casimero and Butler, scheduled for Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom,” ayon sa liham na ipinadala ni Luis Batista-Salas, chairman ng WBO Championship Committee sa lahat ng nasasakuping partido, na nakuha ngBoxingscene.com.“Thereafter, Casimero had two successful voluntary title defenses against Duke Micah on Saturday, September 26, 2020, at the Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, and against Guillermo Rigondeaux on Saturday, August 14, 2021, at the Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, USA, respectively.

Consequently, more than two years have elapsed without a mandatory title defense, and therefore, Casimero must discharge his mandatory defense obligations per WBO Regulations.”

Huling beses dinipensahan ni Casimero ang kanyang titulo kontra kay dating two-time Olympic gold medalist at two-division World champion na si Guillermo “The Jackal” Rigondeaux ng Cuba nung Agosto 14, 2021 sa Dignity Health Sports Park sa Carson, California na nagtapos sa 12-round split decision.

Napagwagian naman ni Butler (33-2, 15KOs) ang bakanteng WBO international bantamweight title kay Mexican Willibaldo Garcia sa pamamagitan rin ng split decision nung Hunyo 25 sa Whites Hotel, Bolton, England. Parehong may kargang 7-straight victories sina Casimero at Butler na huling natalo nung Setyembre 2017 kay compatriot Jonas “One Punch” Sultan via unanimous decision at kay Emmanuel “Manny” Rodriguez ng Puerto Rico nung Mayo 2018 sa isang desisyon, ayon sa pagkakasunod.

Naudlot ang unification bout ni Casimero kay undefeated Japanese boxer Naoya “Monster” Inoue nung Abril 2020 dahil sa pagsisimula ng COVID-19 pandemic, habang hindi naman nagkasundo ito sa unification match sa kapwa Filipino na si WBC 118-pound titlist “The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire Jr. nung isang taon.