John Riel Casimero after his fight with Saul Sanchez in Japan. | Photo from Treasure Boxing Promotion
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Johnriel “Quadro Alas” Casimero, fresh off a dominant first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory against American Saul Sanchez, has found himself facing an unexpected setback.
The Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) has slapped the former three-division world champion with a six-month suspension, casting a shadow over what should have been a great return to the ring.
The announcement came via international boxing judge Edward Ligas, who was in Japan officiating one of the bouts in a major boxing event featuring seven world title fights.
READ: Casimero ends hiatus with explosive 1st Rd. TKO win in Japan
Ligas, who is from Cebu, shared the news in his column for Sports Ta Bai, revealing that Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, CEO of the JBC, personally informed him of the decision.
The suspension stems from Casimero’s continued issues with weight management, particularly his failure to make weight ahead of the fight against Sanchez in Yokohama.
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According to Yasukochi, this wasn’t an isolated incident.
“He has been overweight every time he steps on the scale,” Yasukochi told Ligas, pointing to a pattern of undisciplined behavior that ultimately led to the six-month global sanction.
Suspension
The suspension is expected to be enforced worldwide, affecting regions with recognized boxing commissions, which means Casimero could be sidelined from competing anywhere during the suspension period.
READ: Casimero stripped of WBO world title
While the ban certainly complicates his future, Casimero may not feel its full impact immediately.
His bout against Sanchez, which ended with a decisive first-round TKO, came after a year-long hiatus, following a draw against Yukinori Oguni in Tokyo in October 2023.
With 34 wins (23 by knockout), four defeats, and one draw to his name, Casimero has never shied away from long periods of inactivity, making the six-month layoff seem more like a hiccup than a serious setback.
However, this latest controversy adds to a growing list of issues that have marred Casimero’s otherwise remarkable career.
Violating strict rules
In 2022, he was stripped of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title after violating strict rules in the United Kingdom by using a sauna while preparing for his title defense against British fighter Paul Butler.
The violation not only cost him the title but also raised concerns about his professionalism and commitment to the sport.
Even before that, his scheduled fight against Butler in Dubai in 2021 was canceled due to a bout of gastritis on the eve of the event.
And going even further back, Casimero’s struggles with weight have been a recurring theme.
In 2014, he lost his International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight title after coming in five pounds over the weight limit during a title defense in Cebu against Colombia’s Mauricio Fuentes.