​This past weekend we saw Filipino power puncher John Riel Casimero (30-4, 21) make his first defense of the WBO Bantamweight title, and do so in style as he destroyed Duke Micah in 3 rounds. The performance from Casimero was spectacular, exciting, exhilarating and the type of showing that he needed to make an impression. In the mind of those who hadn't seen before, Casimero instantly went from "that guy Inoue was supposed to fight" to "that guy I want to see again".
 
With that big win under his belt, and with Casimero making the boxing world sit up and take note, there really wasn't any other fighter that we could look at for this week's "Five For", where we look at 5 potential match ups for the man in question!
 
1-Naoya Inoue
The obvious bout that we all want is for the triple title unification bout between Casimero and Japanese star Naoya Inoue, the IBF and WBA "Super" champion. The was, of course, supposed to go down in April before the global situation lead to bouts being cancelled as countries tried to figure how to cope with what was going on. Due to their April date being scrapped the two men went in different directions, with Casimero facing off with Micah and Inoue now scheduled to face Jason Moloney at the end of October. If Inoue gets passed Moloney, as expected, this is the bout that fans of the lower weights will be clamouring for and it's the bout that makes the most sense. This is the one the division needs! We don't think much more needs saying about this one, but it would see the IBF, WBO and WBA "super" titles being unified, so that adds even more allure to this potential match up.
 
2-Emmanuel Rodriguez
Of course whilst we all want Casimero Vs Inoue the reality is that boxing rarely gives us what we want. If we can't get Casimero and Inoue in the ring next then it'd be great to see Casimero take on a former Inoue foe, and there's not many better options available than Puerto Rican fighter Emmanuel Rodriguez. Rodriguez was stopped in 2 rounds by Inoue in Scotland last year and it'd be great to see if Casimero could replicate that. It would also see Casimero facing off with another world class Bantamweight, a former world champion and a man who holds a win over Jason Moloney, the same Moloney that Inoue faces in October. This isn't as good as a bout with Inoue, but it would allow their story to build further and add another chapter whilst the two men head towards a potential clash together.
 
3-Joseph Agbeko
We've seen fighters pick on a country before, and fighters like Manny Pacquiao and Takashi Miura have both been dubbed Mexi-Killers whilst Jess Maca was once dubbed a Japan Killer. With that in mind there is something similar that Casimero could build on, and that would be an African killer, targeting a full continent. Casimero's last two bouts have seen him stop South African Zolani Tete and Ghana's Duke Micah, and he now has a chance to go after a third fighter from Africa with a bout against Joseph Agbeko, from Ghana. Agbeko is a former 2-time IBF champion and is currently riding an 8 fight winning run, his name is still somewhat relevant, he's known to a Showtime audience, after fighting on the channel a number of times around a decade ago. Despite being 43 Agbeko could be marketed as wanting revenge for Casimero's win over Micah and has enough to value in his name to seem like a reasonable opponent and he has never been stopped, so a stoppage for Casimero would look still impressive.
 
4-Jonas Sultan II
During his 34 fight career Casimero has lost 4 time and from those 4 men one has retired, one has been beaten in a rematch, one is fighting at Flyweight and one has called for a rematch with Casimero. That man seeking a rematch is fellow Filipino Jonas Sultan, who stated his interest in a rematch after Casimero stopped Micah. If we're being honest this isn't a big bout, but it should be an easy one to sell, at least to Filipino fans. It would be an all-Filipino world title bout, something we don't see many of, it would be a chance for Casimero to avenge a loss, and would give Sultan a chance to prove that his win wasn't a fluke, and it wasn't just a case of Casimero over-looking him first time around.
 
5-Guillermo Rigondeaux
Our final choice is a man who, like Casimero, is a PBC fighter and has previously called out Inoue. That is Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux. On paper this would pit one of the wildest, aggressive and most charismatic Bantamweights against one of the most technically sound, negative and frustrating fighters in the division. It would be Casimero's power and aggression against Rigondeaux's defense, movement and counter punching. It would see two top 10 Bantamweights facing off, with the loser essentially being eliminated from the Inoue sweepstakes, and the winner making a real statement against another top Bantamweight. It would also give Casimero a chance to avenge fellow Filipino Nonito Donaire, who lost to Rigondeaux way back in 2013. This is a dangerous fight for both men but one we would love to see, and would be on the edge of out seat knowing one shot, from either man, could be the start of the end.

Arguably the most fun bout from this past weekend was the WBO Bantamweight title bout between defending champion John Riel Casimero (30-4, 21) and Duke Micah (24-1, 19). The bout was a short lived one, with Casimero stopping Micah in the third round, but was undeniably a joy to watch, with wild slugging by both and a very high tempo. It was less of a boxing content and more of a pure fight, but that didn't take away from the high level stuff we saw and how damn fun it was.
 
It was, notably, the opening bout to Showtime's PPV and it was also a sensational tear up, that once again proved that lower weight fighters and put on a show and can carry legitimate power in their hands.
 
It was also a bout that had plenty of things to take away from it, and with that in mind it's become the focus for today's Five Take Aways.
 
1-A 3 man commentary team doesn't work
Firstly we need to start with a complaint and that's that the 3 man commentary set up of Showtime isn't working. In fact if anything it's taking away from the action in the ring, and not letting the fights breathe. Individually we love Mauro Ranallo and Al Bernstein, and they do sort of compliment each other quite well. We love Ranallo's energy and excitability, and Bernstein helps keep things level and counteracts Ranallo's hyperactive energy. Together they work pretty well, mixing energy and insight. We however don't see a purpose for Abner Mares. We'd love to see boxing in the West go back to a 2-man commentary team. If they need a third man, for any reason, have them play the role of an unofficial scorekeeper and to add analysis between rounds. The action sometimes needs silence, and the fight needs to be left to talk for it's self, and that didn't happen here.
 
2-Casimero Wanted to leave an impression
Boy was this ever obvious! John Riel Casimero wanted to make a statement and he made it clear he wanted fans to remember him. He hadn't really been showcased to a US audience before, and he seemed fully aware that this was a chance for American fans to see him, and to become fans of his. Less than a minute into the bout he was letting bombs go and in all honesty it seemed like everything Casimero threw was thrown with bad intentions. Be it the hooks, uppercuts, straights or jabs, everything was throw with full weight behind it. At times it did make Casimero look wild and unpredictable, but that has always been part of Casimero's charm.
 
One thing that has often been a problem with Casimero is his inconsistency, and his willingness to sleep walk through rounds. Here however he looked more determined than ever before. It's a shame we've not seen more of this Casimero in the past!
 
3-Micah came to fight
With Casimero letting his hands go Duke Micah had to either concede defeat and back off, or meet fire with fire. He decided to fight fire with fire and this made for a thrilling action bout with both men landing bombs through out the fight. Micah had to take some massive shots, being dropped hard, but tried to tough it out and fight back making for a great fight. Sadly for Micah he was way out of his depth and his effort, whilst an honest one, saw his lack of experience at this level being shown. He was a very good amateur, but those amateur skills went out of the window as he stood and traded with Casimero far too often.
 
4-Micah never fully recovered from the knockdown
Part way through round 2 Micah was dropped. Although he got to his feet he never seemed to fully recover. He looked wobbly on his feet afterwards, and seemed buzzed throughout what remained of the round. He also looked like he was still feeling the knockdown early in round 3. It was good work from the doctor to take a look at him at the start of the round, but in reality they probably could have stopped it there and then. They gave him the benefit of the doubt, but didn't really need to, Micah was a beaten man coming out for round 3.
 
5-Casimero is a character
Winning is one thing, but making a statement is another. Casimero made a statement with his performance but then continued afterwards. The post-fight press ups were great and the very clear call out of Naoya Inoue was smart, as was the dancing, the general personality he showed and the masks. We know that most fight fans watch fights and that is how they get to know the fighters, but Casimero's post fight antics will also have endeared him to fans who will want to see more of him. This was a fighter who saw a chance to boost their promotional standing and made the most of that chance. Very smart by Casimero.

Over the last few days we've worked our way through the top 10 rankings for the Asian scene at Minimumweight through to Super Flyweight and today we add the Bantamweight rankings, and this is one of the divisions with incredible depth. We feel the #1 is a consensus pick, #2 and #3 are interchangeable and then the other 7 are a mix of really talented fighters in one of the most packed top 10's that we'll be covering. There could be some debate about the placements, but in reality there's not a lot separating some of these guys. However, that's not a bad thing, and it helps show the competitive nature of the division right now.
 
1-Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16)
The current WBA "Super" and IBF unified champion champion is arguably the face of Asian boxing right now, Naoya Inoue. The heavy handed 27 year old from Kanagawa is already a 3 weight world champion and within just 19 fights is one of the sports genuine stars. After winning world titles at Light Flyweight and Super Flyweight Inoue moved to Bantamweight and decimated Jamie McDonnell, Juan Carlos Payano and Emmanuel Rodriguez, before working hard to defeat Nonito Donaire in the WBSS Finale last November. The bout against Donaire saw Inoue needing to prove his toughness, chin and will to win and proving them in the way he did really boosted his standing in our eyes, and he answered some real questions. Having now shown he can fight through adversity we know Inoue is much, much more than just an offensive "Monster".
 
2-Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26)
Having given Inoue such a tough bout in the WBSS final it's fair to suggest that Nonito Donaire is #2, or at worst #3, in division in regards to Asian fighters. The 37 year old Filipino veteran is a physical monster at the weight, with huge size advantages over almost everyone else at 118lbs. He's not just big but he's also strong, very powerful, incredibly tough and a nightmare to fight. He's not as quick as he once was, though as he's lost speed he has adapted and certainly throws fewer wild shots than he once did. There is a case of father time being on his back, but the "Filipino Flash", is experienced, skilled, strong, and has become a more intelligent fighter as the years have gone on. We don't imagine he'll have a Bernard Hopkins-esque career, but he did show there is more than just a bit of life left in his career.
 
3-John Riel Casimero (29-4, 20)
We mentioned that Donaire was either #2 or #3, the man he is potentially interchangeable with is WBO champion John Riel Casimero. Casimero is a 3-weight world champion, and is someone who has long been over-looked by fans of the sport. He's won titles at at 108lbs, 112lbs and now Bantameight. Blessed with confidence, speed and power Casimero is nightmare to face when he's on song. He is however rather unpredictable and he can look both amazing and terrible in the same fight. He won the WBO title last year, stopping Zolani Tete, and seems to be enjoying a good run of form, though that could change at any moment. Originally the plan had been for Casimero to face off with Inoue in April though that bout was cancelled by on going global situation. Now it appears the two men could end up going in different directions with Casimero now looking likely to face Joshua Greer Jr, in a mandatory title defense instead.
 
4-Keita Kurihara (15-5, 13)
After the top 3 we end up with 4 or 5 guys who are very tricky to split, and matching any of them would give some compelling bouts. Among those "chasing group" is OPBF champion Keita Kurihara, a hard hitting 27 year from Japan. On paper Kurihara shouldn't be here, with 5 losses from his 20 bouts, however those losses don't tell the full story of where Kurihara is now. In fact 4 of his losses came in his first 7 bouts and he has only been beaten once in his last 13, with that coming to Hiroaki Teshigawara. In that time he has beaten Ryan Lumacad, Yuki Strong Kobayashi, Warlito Parrenas and Sukkasem Kietyongyuth. He's not the most talented of the ones in this area of the rankings, through he is very much among the most dangerous.
 
5-Reymart Gaballo (23-0, 20)
The most overlooked man in the division, by some margin, is 23 year old Filipino Reymart Gaballo. Gaballo is a joy to watch, but also a freakishly good fighter with some absolutely terrifying traits. He's lightning quick, tall and rangy, with frightening power, very confident and despite look a bit raw around the edges appears to take a good shot, and throw and even better one. His best win to date is probably over Stephon Young, more than 2 years ago, and since then has been supposedly decent opponents. We're really looking forward to seeing the leash being off Gaballo and allowing him to back up our high ranking of him as he looks like the sort of fighter who really could stamp his authority on the division.
 
6-Takuma Inoue (13-1, 3)
Naoya Inoue's little brother, Takuma Inoue, is pretty much the opposite of Keita Kurihara. Whilst Kurihara is all about power Inoue at the cost of skills Takuma Inoue is very much about skills and movement, at the expense of his power. He's a smart boxer-mover, with under-defense, very good movement and sharp punches, but a lack of punching power a strange lack of physical strength, despite visibly looking strong. His 2019 loss to Nordine Oubaali saw him being bullied for much of the fight, though his will to win shined through late on and he pushed Oubaali hard late on, answer questions about his heart and his stamina. We do wonder whether he could drop back down to Super Flyweight, where he fought earlier in his career. If he could he would a great addition there, but instead might find his success being a bit limited at Bantamweight. Saying that however he's only 24 and is still a boxing baby, despite being a pro since 2013. He might not be the generational talent that his older brother is, but don't write him off at after just a single loss.
 
7-Nawaphon Por Chokchai (48-1-1, 38)
Former Flyweight world title challenger Nawaphon Por Chokchai, also known by various other names, has reeled off 12 wins since being stopped by Juan Hernandez back in 2017. Whilst his competition hasn't been the best he has scored notable victories over Amnat Ruenrroeng, Richard Claveras, Sonny Boy Jaro and Ryan Lumacad since his sole defeat, putting him back among the contenders looking for a shot. His record is padded, but watching him, you know he can step it up and would be a nightmare for many of the divisional elite. Some how he's only 28 at the moment, and right bang in his prime, despite already having 50 bouts to his name. Another fighter we can't right off for just having a loss against his name.
 
8-Michael Dasmarinas (30-2-1, 20)
There's an argument that 27 year Filipino Michael Dasmarinas should be much higher up this list, and we do appreciate those arguments. Wins over Karim Guerfi and Kenny Demecillo are very good wins. Sadly however we can't the gift he got against Manyo Plange out of our head, and his win over Demecillo was certainly not the clear cut win that many would have expected for a supposed top divisional talent. He's skilled and talented, but we do wonder if he has maybe hit an early peak and is now, perhaps, heading the wrong way. He's been a sparring partner for both of the Inoue brothers, and is technically a mandatory for the IBF title, but we do wonder whether he'd last long with the Monster if, or when, they fight.
 
9-Yusuke Suzuki (11-3, 7)
Japanese national champion Yusuke Suzuki is another fighter with a record looks out of place in this top 10, but he certainly belongs here. He would also be an absolute nightmare for many in the rankings. The 31 year old southpaw is a solid puncher, teak tough, with an insane work rate and excellent will to win. He can be out boxed, and he cant be out manoeuvred, but but he's a dark horse in the division and certainly deserves a mention. Last time out he over-came some awful facial swelling to out point Yuta Saito. To date he has only lost once at the weight, and that was a split decision in the Philippines to the touted Jeffrey Francisco. Since then he has reeled off 5 wins and come back from a nasty injury. He's not in the mix for the higher positions but is pretty much interchangeable with the man ranked #9.
 
10-Yuki Strong Kobayashi (16-8, 9)
Another fight who's record doesn't scream "top 10" is Yuki Strong Kobayashi, who is in the list due to his recent results. In the last 60 months he had gone 6-1 (3) with his only loss being a close one to Keita Kurihara. In that same time he has beaten Satoshi Ozawa, Vicent Astrolabio and Ben Mananquil. The win over Mananquil saw him net the WBO Asia Pacific title and score a recent big surprise last year over the talented Filipino. Kobayashi has improved from the fighter he once was, and when he was 10-7 (5) his career very much seemed like it was going nowhere but the 28 year old is now an experienced regional champion and with Muto gym well and truly behind him his future is bright. He's not near the top of this list, but certainly belongs on it. A rematch between him and Kurihara would be good, as would a bout with Suzuki.
 
On the Bubble:
Ben Mananquil, Kenny Demecillo, Renz Rosia, Yelshat Nikhemttolla, Petch Sor Chitpatttana, and Carl Jammes Martin

We began December with John Riel Casimero being the toast of Filipino boxing after he beat Zolani Tete to become a 3-weight world champion. The Filipino star is currently being linked to a 2020 showdown with Japanese super star Naoya Inoue in what would make for a great bout for Inoue's Top Rank debut, in front of an audience who perhaps aren't as familiar with the Super Flyweight division as they should be. With Casimero's recent win it only made sense to feature him in our latest Six Degrees of Separation, and today we take you on a journey from Casimero, to WBC Light Flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji.
 
1-Filipino power puncher John Riel Casimero has made his name as a road warrior, picking up wins in countries as far apart as the UK and Nicaragua and from the US to China. Another of the sports true road warriors was Alicia Ashley, a female fighter from Jamaica who truly fought all over the globe in her 37 fight career.
 
2-Although not too well known by boxing in general Alicia Ashley was a fantastic fighter who who travelled the globe for fights, and she fought as far and wise China, Germany, Austria and North Korea. 
 
3-Boxing doesn't have many North Korean fighters. It never has. Despite the poverty of the country the sport hasn't been seen a way out due to the countries political strangle hold and ideology. There has however been a handful of notable fighters who can have their roots traced back to Pyongyang, including Hyun Mi Choi.

Following his win this past weekend the big question now is, what is next for WBO Bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero (29-4, 20). Obviously he called out Naoya Inoue, but that certainly isn't the only for the hard hitting Filipino, who has a lot of potential fighters looking in his direction. 
 
With that in mind we will look at Five For... John Riel Casimero, with Inoue being one of the 5 fighters we'll look at, alongside the WBO mandatory challenger and other interesting potential foes.
 
1-Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16)
The obvious choice for Casimero is, Naoya Inoue, the man he called out after his win over Tete. The bout would be a huge all-Asian unification bout that could take either side of the Pacific. In Japan the bout would be a huge follow up to Inoue's win over Donaire in the WBSS final, whilst in the US it would be a monster introduction for US fans to the winner in Inoue's Top Rank debut. Obviously Inoue would be the favourite, but Casimero has regularly been the under-dog and hasn't cared about his opponent being the favourite. This could be mouth watering, but really depends on which Casimero turns up.
 
2-Joshua Greer, Jr (22-1-1, 12)
Loud, brash and confident American Joshua Greer is the #1 contender to Casimero and the WBO title, and is the Inoue bout can't come off, for whatever, then Gree is the man Casimero should be looking to face as quickly as possible. A win over Greer would get rid of him as the mandatory challenger and help to further enhance Casimero's reputation as a road warrior. If we're being completely honest we don't see Gree being competitive over a half focused Casimero, though of course seeing Casimero fighting at less than half of his best is never a surprise. Gree has managed to create plenty of hype with his pillow gimmick, and we suspect that if he got in the ring with Casimero he'd need the pillow himself, rather early on.
 
3-Jason Moloney (20-1, 17)
The well travelled Casimero has genuinely fought all over the place, but has yet to pick up a stamp from Australia on his well used passport. A trip "down under" to face the talented and heavy handed Jason Moloney would certainly be an interesting assignment, and would come against a legit top level opponent. Moloney proved his ability in 2018, when he beat Kohei Kono and the lost a hotly contested bout with Emmanuel Rodriguez, and would make for a fantastic opponent for Casimero. This wouldn't be as high profile as Inoue or Greer, but from a neutral point of view this would be a brilliant match up between heavy handed and talented fighters.
 
4-Nonito Donaire (40-6, 26)
One thing we still don't get enough of is All-Filipino world title bouts, and yet we have to truly top level Filipino Bantamweights, both of which are at an interesting cross roads and both are seemingly interested in a future showdown with the same man. Why not have them face off? Both Casimero and Nonito Donaire have made it clear they want to face Inoue down the line, and whilst Donaire has just faced the Monster he wants to go again, and Casimero has made his intention clear. A bout between the two wouldn't just be an Inoue eliminator but would also be a potentially explosive clash between two very heavy handed fighters. This could be made in either the Philippines, in what could be sold as Donaire's last bout, or in the US, with Casimero looking to boost his profile and Donaire being seen as the perfect foil. It would be a potential passing of the torch for Casimero, or one more final hurrah for the Filipino Flash.
 
5-Jonas Sultan (16-5, 10) II
A left of field choice, but maybe a more personal one for Casimero, would be a rematch with fellow Filipino Jonas Sultan. In 2017 Casimero was out pointed by Sultan in a Super Flyweight world title eliminator, and suffered his first, and only, loss to a fellow Filipino fighter. The bout saw Casimero look totally off, and the cards of Carl Zappia and Glenn Trowbridge really were both kind to Casimero who never looked good at any point against Sultan. Since then Sultan has gone 2-2 and looks like a fighter who has peaked and is on his way down, whilst Casimero looks to be having an Indian summer of sorts. The loss is one that looks wrong on Casimero's record, and the only one which has come to someone who has never won a world title. He has a chance to avenge it, and why wait? Yes this is much less high profile and big name, but we certainly see the appeal of this bout, if Casimero wants to get revenge for what happened in their first bout.

This past weekend Filipino road warrior John Riel Casimero (29-4, 20) became a 3-weight world champion with a sensational win in the UK over Zolani Tete to claim the WBO Bantamweight title.
 
Whilst that win was huge it would have left a lot of fans wanting to know more about Casimero, who has now scored 2 big wins in the UK. With that in mind here are 10 facts you probably didn't know about... John Riel Casimero
 
1-In a 2009 article for Phil Boxing by the brilliant Rene Bonsubre, Jr, it was revealed that had he not become a professional fighter Casimero had wanted to become a police men.
 
2-Casimero's first international title was the WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight. In his first defense he stopped Ardin Diale, becoming the first man to stop Diale. That bout was however over-shadowed by a bizarre incident  on the card when former world champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin kicked Ramie Laput and suffered a DQ loss. This was Ratanachai's 86th bout, and his only career DQ loss.
 
3-In 2014 Casimero lost his first world title, the IBF Light Flyweight title, when he came in over the Flyweight limit to face Mauricio Fuentes. More than 2 years after that he would become a 2-weight champion and by claiming the IBF Flyweight title.
 
4-Casimero's nickname of "Quadro Alas" is Tagalog for "four of a kind", a poker hand, and in this case relates to Four Aces
 
5-Although well known as a road warrior what isn't always remembered is that Casimero has won 3 world title, and 2 interim world titles, all on the road and all in different countries. He won the WBO interim Light Flyweight title in Nicaragua, the IBF interim Light Flyweight title in Argentina, the IBF Flyweight title in China, the WBO interim Bantamweight title in the US and the WBO Bantamweight title in the UK
 
6-The most infamous bout of Casimero's career lead to letters being sent by the then Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez, who filed a protest with Argentinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The was sent after a riot was sparked following Casimero's win against Luis Alberto Lazarte. This bout later led to the IBF banning Lazarte from fighting for their titles.
 
7-Whilst John Riel Casimero has had a very successful career his older brother Jayson Casimero had a very forgettable one, fighting twice in 2009 and losing both bouts by decision.
 
8-Not only did Casimero claim his first "world title", the WBO interim Light Flyweight title, in Nicaragua but did it on an event dedicated to local hero Alexis Arguello. 
 
9-Interestingly 2 of the men Casimero has defended titles against, Pedro Guevara and Charlie Edwards, have gone on to win world titles of their own.
 
10-Casimero never actually won the IBF Light Flyweight title in the ring. Although he beat Lazarte that was only for the interim title. The IBF later upgraded him after Ulises "Archie" Solis, was unable to defend the belt against him. The reason Solis was unable to defend was due to facial injuries, reportedly, given to him by Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in a street in Guadalajara in 2011.