JOSEF T. RAMOS
Johnriel Casimero
DETHRONED world champion Johnriel Casimero vented his ire on his Colombian opponent Saturday night after his disqualification for being overweight for their fight.
Although he was no longer capable of defending the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light flyweight belt, Casimero remained aggressive and brutally knocked out Mauricio Fuentes cold in the opening round before a packed Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Cebu City.
Casimero, who was five pounds over the 108-pound limit at Friday’s weigh-in, dropped Fuentes thrice in the first round.
After a solid uppercut to Fuentes’ jaw decked the Colombian for the third time, referee Gerard White stopped the bout at 2:59 minutes.
Fuentes “never thought Casimero would fight like this, very tricky,” Casimero’s promoter Sammy Gello-Ani told The Manila Times in a phone interview on Sunday. “When Fuentes moved forward, Casimero caught him off balance with different combinations.”
Despite relinquishing the belt he was defending for the fourth time, Casimero improved his record to 20 wins and two losses with 12 knockouts.
Fuentes dropped to 16-3 slate with 10 knockouts. The IBF light flyweight title is now vacant.
In other bouts, Harmonito Dela Torre kept his unbeaten run with a technical knockout win in the 4th round against Gadwin Tubigon and Jessie Cris Rosales defeated Anthony Sabalde by unanimous decision.