Casimero ends yearlong hiatus with October fight in Japan

John Riel Casimero (left) and Saul Sanchez (right). | Facebook photos

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Former three-division world champion John Riel “Quadro Alas” Casimero is set to make a comeback after a year-long break, facing Latin American contender Saul “The Beast” Sanchez on October 13 in Yokohama, Japan.

Casimero, a prominent figure in Filipino boxing, has finally answered his fans’ calls on social media with the announcement of his next fight.

He will be up against Sanchez, a world-rated bantamweight contender who is coming off a unanimous decision victory against another Filipino, Arthur Villanueva, last July in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States.

Before that, Sanchez suffered a tough majority decision loss to Australian Jason Moloney in January. That bout was for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title.

While the matchup might seem favorable for Casimero on paper, questions loom due to his long absence from the ring.

His last fight, a technical draw against Japanese fighter Yukinori Oguni in Tokyo last September, was a disappointing outcome.

Prior to that, Casimero secured a hard-fought unanimous decision victory against African Fillipus Nghitumbwa for the WBO Global super bantamweight title in Manila.

Despite recent setbacks, Casimero remains a top contender with a strong pedigree.

A former WBO world bantamweight champion, he is currently ranked No. 3 in the WBO super bantamweight division, No. 8 by the WBC, and No. 11 by the IBF.

The 35-year-old boasts a record of 33 wins, 22 by knockout, with four losses and one draw. In contrast, Sanchez holds a record of 21 wins, 12 by knockout, and three losses.

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