Johnriel Casimero (left) and Edward Ligas (right). | Facebook photos
Cebu City, Philippines — Esteemed international boxing judge Edward Ligas is considering legal action against former three-division world champion John Riel “Quadro” Alas Casimero, following an alleged confrontation at Narita International Airport in Tokyo on October 15.
In his recent sports column, “Bungot sa Itoy,” published on the sports social media platform “Sports Ta Bai,” Ligas detailed his experience with Casimero’s entourage after the boxer’s first-round technical knockout victory over American Saul Sanchez earlier that week.
Ligas reported that while waiting for his flight back to the Philippines, he encountered Casimero’s entourage, who confronted him regarding perceived negative commentary he had made about the boxer. According to Ligas, Casimero claimed to have obtained information about these criticisms from his neighbors.
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When Ligas challenged Casimero to provide evidence of these alleged negative write-ups, the boxer was unable to do so. Ligas emphasized his long-standing career in media, spanning 25 years, during which he has never faced accusations of misinformation, particularly regarding Casimero.
Despite Ligas’s explanations, he described Casimero as increasingly agitated. The situation only began to de-escalate when Ligas reminded Casimero of his responsibilities as a licensed professional boxer, and Ligas’s own role as a licensed boxing judge.
In Ligas’s account, Casimero expressed his displeasure, stating, “You’ve been disparaging me for some time now. You keep posting fake news about me.”
Ligas maintained that his comments were based on factual reporting as a Cebu-based radio broadcaster and sports columnist. He alleged that Casimero’s entourage displayed threatening behavior during the exchange.
To resolve the tension, Ligas requested a photo with Casimero and his brother, Jayson, as a gesture of goodwill, but they chose to walk away instead.
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Concerned about the potential for further conflict, Ligas announced his intention to formally file a complaint with the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC). He expressed apprehension that a future encounter might escalate to physical confrontation.
“This will be the last time I discuss this incident. However, I will formally file a complaint with the GAB and JBC, as I fear that next time, it may not just be harassment,” Ligas stated.
The tensions escalated after Ligas reported that the JBC had suspended Casimero for six months due to him coming in overweight for the bout against Sanchez. This suspension was later extended to one year.
CDN Digital attempted to contact Casimero via his personal Facebook account for comment, but had not received a response at the time of this writing.