Johnriel Reponte "Quadro Alas" Casimero

While the Filipino fighter is slated to make a third defense of his WBO bantamweight title against his mandatory, Cheshireman and former IBF champ Paul "The Baby Faced Assassin" Butler exactly two months from today - good chance of that not happening.

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Now being reported by multiple boxing news outlets instead of just Sayson. Story seems to have legs.

I would expect based on rumblings that we see Paul Butler vs. Rau'Shee Warren (currently ranked #4 by the WBO) for the vacant belt, barring any major twists and turns. There have been some accusations by some people online (whether hardcore Casimero fans, or family members, or just hopeful patriots, or bad faith actors planted by his management, who knows) that Sayson fabricated the story and is on the payroll of an American promoter that Casimero had a falling out with who is trying to "smear" him, but... unless that is substantiated in a hurry, his reign can be presumed over.

 

...tbh, I only ever really liked him in the first place because he whooped that dirty reprehensible piece of crap Lazarte's ass that one time. I'd have been grateful to anybody for doing that. But, if one recalls, that was a filthy fight and for once it wasn't entirely Lazarte's fault. Casimero has always had an ugly as hell and dirty style; the Rigondeaux fight wasn't some one-off. So no great loss to us as fans if he winds up being guilty, it won't be like losing some great big hero. The people of the Philippines have plenty other pugilists to get behind at or near the world class level who are just as exciting to watch or more and don't have the ...uncomfortable baggage Casimero appears to.

 

As for the state of the championship, Butler vs. Warren is an underwhelming bout to produce a belt holder, and obviously either one calling themselves the top banana in a division headed by Inoue is a joke (not that the WBO is taking terribly seriously anyway) but, it'll only be a minor downgrade. An old, shot, shy El Chacal almost did enough to take it last year. Whoever carries the WBO belt is basically just keeping it warm for whenever Inoue and/or Donaire feels like unifying.

 

I think Chuck was just being sarcastic.

 

That may well end up proving true, but as of now multiple news outlets are reporting that a complaint from a minor is on file with Taguig police.

The split from this Gibbons fellow might just be a separate issue, where yeah, maybe in that situation Gibbons was the bigger jerk, but...that doesn't mean legal charges being filed can be neatly explained away by claims that a small fry promoter has the clout or resources to perpetrate some giant international conspiracy.

 

As of late November or early December it had been Warren, iirc.