The World Boxing Organization has decided not to take away his WBO world bantamweight belt from Pinoy champ John Riel Casimero.
Casimero’s WBO bantamweight belt was put in jeopardy when he failed to continue his fight with mandatory challenger Paul Butler Dubai on December 11, which was supposed to be held in Dubai.
One day before their official weigh-in, the Filipino champ was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with viral gastritis.
The WBO leadership had warned that John Riel Casimero would be deprived of the championship if he could not explain and evidence about his hospitalization, which was why he could not fight Butler.
“There is no controversy as to the cause of Casimero’s physical impediment to engaging in the WBO Bantamweight Mandatory Championship Bout against Paul Butler per the medical documents furnished to the WBO. In essence, all the supportive evidence concluded that Casimero’s diagnosis was Viral Gastritis,” according to the released WBO decision.
“Furthermore, these findings were rendered by duly licensed physicians and certified by the respective medical institutions. Therefore, we deem it unnecessary to challenge these findings through independent medical reviews,” it added.
John Riel Casimero retains WBO bantamweight belt
With the loss of Casimero, Ghanaian boxer Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko would have been the one to face Butler in the fight.
But Butler refused to face Agbeko if no world title was at stake. So Butler’s fight was finally canceled.
In the WBO resolution, they are re-authorizing Probellum, the promotional outfit in the Casimero-Butler fight, if they want to set another date for the two’s fight.
John Riel Casimero has held world championships in three weight classes; the WBO bantamweight title from 2019 to 2021; the IBF junior-flyweight title from 2012 to 2013; and the IBF flyweight title in 2016. Quadro Alas is Tagalog for four of a kind when translated. His moniker means Four Aces.
Casimero got his first shot at a world title when he challenged Moruti Mthalane of South Africa for the IBF flyweight title on March 26, 2011. He was, however, stopped by the South African in five rounds, therefore marking his second career loss.
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