INTERNATIONAL Boxing Federation flyweight champion Johnreil Casimero returned home after a long flight from London on Monday evening and announced that he wants to win all the flyweight belts available “so it will be hard to carry.”
Casimero told the Manila Standard that he plans to have a couple of more fights as a flyweight before he goes after newly crowned WBC super flyweight champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, who won a 12-round unanimous decision in a close fight against champion Carlos ‘Principe” Cuadras.
Casimero said he watched the telecast of the Gonzales-Cuadras title fight.
“It looks like Gonzalez has weakened,” said Casimero. “It will be nice to fight him [Gonzalez] now. I can beat him easily.”
Recalling his 10th-round technical knockout win over previously unbeaten 23-year-old Briton Charlie Edwards, Casimero said he “trained so hard for the fight to make sure our dreams come true.”
He conceded that while he controlled the fight, Edwards was “a good boxer with good footwork and fought on the outside which made it difficult. However, he had no power.”
“I chased him for a long time and while the challenger avoided my powerful right, I caught him with a good left hook,” said Casimero of the punch that quickly set up the TKO.
Casimero commended the referee Steve Gray who., he said, was very fair. Johnreil said he was “happy that I won my first title defense especially in London before 18,000 people.”
Casimero won the IBF flyweight title with a rousing fourth-round knockout of Thai champion Amnat Ruenroeng in Beijing, China, which was a highlight of the IBF Annual Convention.
Well-known promoter Sammy Gello-ani who partners international matchmaker and promoter Sampson Lewkowicz indicated the current plan is for “Casimero to have a couple more fights as a flyweight, make some money and then move up to super flyweight. ”
He said Casimero will take a two-week break and then the members of the team will get together and decide on a title defense in November or December and choose an opponent.
Veteran trainer Jhun Agrabio indicated success came because “we trained hard and Johnreil was relaxed. That was our plan. They (the Edwards camp) spoke of travel—wear and tear—but didn’t know he is a road warrior.”
He said the British fans “didn’t boo too much because they believe in Filipino fighters.”
Agrabio thanked this reporter “for seeing the talent in Casimero. You have always been there for him.”
The arrival interviews with Casimero, trainer Agrabio and promoter Gello-ani plus highlights of the Edwards’ title fight will be telecast on the top-rating Viva Sports weekly boxing show “The Main Event” on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. over Pinoy Box Office on Sky Cable nationwide, with a replay at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday