JOHN Riel Casimero’s dream of sharing the ring with Naoya Inoue should now be declared dead on arrival. If there’s still a flicker of hope in his mind — or among his most loyal followers — it’s time to extinguish it.
Over the weekend, Casimero’s downward spiral hit another low point as he dropped a lopsided unanimous decision loss to Kyonosuke Kameda at the Bishkek Arena in Kyrgyzstan. This was supposed to be his grand re-entry into the sport after serving a one-year suspension from the Japan Boxing Commission for failing to make the super bantamweight limit of 122 pounds in his ill-fated bout against Saul Sanchez in October 2024.
Instead, it turned into another reminder of how far “Quadro Alas” has fallen from grace.
The 36-year-old was handed a second chance by former world champion-turned-promoter Koki Kameda, who signed him to a promotional deal and slotted him in a 128-pound catchweight contest against Kyonosuke Kameda.
Casimero came out swinging early, clearly chasing a highlight-reel knockout. But his aggression was all bark, no bite. Once Kameda figured out his rhythm by the third round, the Japanese boxer controlled the tempo with stiff jabs, making the Filipino look every bit his age.
There was even a moment of humiliation. Kameda rocked Casimero so badly that the once-feared puncher was on unsteady legs. Then came an amateur-hour display in the corner — his brother-slash-trainer Jayson dousing water directly on an open cut near the right eye between rounds.
When the final bell rang, the scorecards — 97-92, 98-92, and 98-92 — all went to Kameda, who boxed smartly rather than slugged recklessly. For context, the Osaka, Japan native had lost earlier this year to top-tier names like Luis Nery and Alan Picasso. Yet even a puglist with recent setbacks managed to outthink and outwork Casimero. That says it all.
This was Casimero’s first loss since 2017 when Jonas Sultan outpointed him. But the truth is, his career’s decline didn’t start in Bishkek. It’s been a long and messy unraveling — missed weights, canceled fights, and controversies that cost him his place among boxing’s elite. Today, he isn’t ranked in any division. He can’t even make 122 pounds, the very division where Inoue reigns supreme.
And yet, Casimero still begs for that elusive fight — as if Inoue were an ex-lover who got away. He talks about it in interviews, his fans flood social media demanding it, but the rest of the boxing world has moved on.
Let’s be honest here. If not for the pandemic, that fight would’ve happened in 2020. But times have changed. Inoue has conquered new divisions, unified world titles, and cemented himself as one of the greatest fighters of his era. Casimero, meanwhile, has become an afterthought.
It’s absurd to even suggest that Inoue is avoiding him. “The Monster” has fought — and destroyed — every credible threat placed before him. Casimero, by contrast, can’t even keep his career in order.
Now, Koki Kameda is in damage-control mode, inviting Casimero into the ring after Nery’s recent win to tease a possible matchup at 126 pounds. But after the Filipino’s listless showing against Kyonosuke, what’s the point? Nobody’s buying it.
Casimero’s problem isn’t Inoue — it’s the circus surrounding him. The misplaced bravado, the yes-men in his corner, and the lack of accountability have turned what could have been a brilliant second act into a slow-motion collapse.
If there’s anything his brief stint of success proved, it’s that when Casimero had the right people guiding him, he thrived. When he let the wrong ones in, he unraveled.
It’s time for Casimero to stop chasing ghosts. The Inoue chapter is closed. What he needs now isn’t a big-money fight — it’s an honest reckoning with himself and the people he trusts.
Because if this latest mortification is any indication, the only thing scarier than Inoue for Casimero is his own reflection.
(For comments or questions, reach the author at nissi.icasiano@gmail.com or visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nissi.icasiano.)
