John Riel Casimero. | Getty images
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former three-division world champion John Riel “Quadro Alas” Casimero made a resounding return to the ring, ending a year-long hiatus with a dominant first-round technical knockout of American Saul Sanchez on Sunday, October 13, in Yokohama, Japan.
Casimero, 35, silenced any doubts about his form after a prolonged absence from the sport.
The Filipino fighter, who last fought in October 2023, faced criticism after coming in overweight during the official weigh-in, forcing him to shed extra pounds ahead of the scheduled 10-rounder.
READ: Casimero ends yearlong hiatus with October fight in Japan
Despite the pre-fight concerns, he wasted no time in making a statement.
The bout ended in an explosive fashion as Casimero floored Sanchez with a swift left hook in the opening round.
READ: Casimero debut fight in Japan ends in technical draw, Inoue battle may have to wait
Sanchez, who started strong by landing a few power punches, quickly got back to his feet, but the damage had been done.
Sensing blood, he went for the kill, pinning Sanchez against the ropes and unloading a relentless barrage of punches.
READ: Casimero stripped of WBO world title
The American fighter attempted to counter but was overwhelmed by Casimero’s relentless assault.
The referee, who had seen enough carnage, decided to step in to stop the fight at the 2:41 mark of the first round.
Strong comeback
The victory marks a strong comeback for Casimero, who had been sidelined since his draw against Yukinori Oguni in October 2023.
That bout saw Casimero lose his WBO Global super bantamweight title due to inactivity, leading to questions about his future in the sport.
With Sunday’s emphatic win, the Leyte native improves his record to 34-4-1, with 23 knockouts.
Sanchez, a former world title challenger, drops to 21-4 with 12 knockouts after suffering his first stoppage loss since 2021.