SOLID Filipino fans of flamboyant boxer John Riel Casimero will have only over a month to wait for the ‘bisdak’ (Bisayang dako) champion to climb up the ring again.
This, as global boxing and media company Probellum, announced its holding of Casimero’s title defense on April 22 in Liverpool, England where local fan-favorite Paul Butler is targetting the Filipino’s WBO bantamweight crown.
“Gahinam-hinam gyod ‘mi permi basta si idol Cuadro Alas na ang moaway kay makalingaw gyod iyang kumo ug baba. Maayong tawo kanang among silingan pa-showbiz lang na iyang mga trash-talk,” said Jonas Juntilla, Casimero’s townmate in Ormoc City.
Boxing gym instructor Jay Buot of Cagayan de Oro was quite bothered, however, of Casimero’s cockiness, on and off the ring.
“Consistent man gud iyang pagka kapayason, pero ga-monitor gihapon ko sa iyang mga away,” Buot said.
Prominent fighters such as former WBA super middleweight titlist Rocky Fielding, Liverpool-born siblings Peter and Joe McGrail, and the fancied pair of Will Cawley and Luke McCormack will also be in the same Probellum boxing extravaganza.
Casimero (31-4, 21 knockouts) faces United Kingdom’s Butler (33-2, 15 knockouts) in the night’s main attraction to be slated at the M&S Bank Arena.
They were originally booked to slug it out in the Probellum’s inaugural December 2021 show before Casimero’s camp revealed that the Filipino suffered from viral gastritis, hence the fight’s cancellation.
“Kapayason pero naay agi makatulog sab ang kontra kon maigo sa iyang kumo. Of course, excited na sab ko sa title-defense bout ni idol,” Oro businessman Fred Limbaga told Gold Star Daily.
