CASIMERO (FILE PHOTO)
SAMSON Gello-ani, the veteran boxing promoter and the manager of two-division world champion Johnriel “Quadro Alas” Casimero, is confident that his prized ward will dominate the super flyweight division.
Casimero, a 26-year-old native of Ormoc City, had announced that he vacated the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world flyweight belt to move to the more stacked 115-pound super flyweight division.
Gello-ani told Cebu Daily News that he and his partner, international boxing promoter and match maker Sampson Lewkowicz, are already working on a world title fight next year.
“It’s advisable for Casimero to move up in weight at this stage of his career, and my partner Sampson Lewkowicz are already preparing a big fight for him. We are hoping that a world-title fight will happen. For me it’s not necessary for Casimero to have tune-up fights, he’s got nothing to prove anymore. So the best for him is a world-title fight,” said Gello-ani.
Casimero, considered as the country’s ultimate road warrior for winning big fights abroad, won the IBF world flyweight title against Amnat Ruenroeng this year in Thailand. He managed to defend it once against British Charlie Edwards last September in London, UK. He holds a record of 23 wins with 15 knockout victories and three losses.
Gello-ani stressed that the regular flyweight division is not that competitive anymore, which prompted Casimero to move up to super flyweight.
“He will be healthier physically when he moves up to the 115-lbs division and also he will get stronger in that division because he will not shed off more weight anymore,” said Gello-ani. “This will be our direction for Casimero next year, and we will make him a three-division world champion,” said Casimiro.
The top names in the 115-lb division are WBC super flyweight champion Roman Gonzales, WBA champion Luis Concepcion, IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas and WBO champion Naoya Inoue.
Gello-ani said Casimero will start training next month.
He revealed that Casimero was supposed to fight a Japanese opponent on December 31 in Japan.
The fight was canceled after the Japanese boxer suffered an injury.