John Riel Casimero’s lone battle of the 12 months was befitting of his weird 2022 marketing campaign however in the end ended on a excessive observe.
The Korea Boxing Member’s Fee (KBMC) voted to vary Casimero’s beforehand declared No-Contest with Ryo Akaho to a second-round knockout win for the previous three-division titlist earlier this month. The December 3 junior featherweight conflict—which occurred in Incheon, South Korea—noticed Casimero should take care of a controversial knockdown name and Akaho overselling a foul which in the end ended their bout at 2:25 of spherical two.
Referee Michiaki Someya known as for time after Akaho complained of being struck at the back of the top from which the previous title challenger from Japan claimed he may not proceed. The in-ring resolution was to declare a No-Contest, although two thorough critiques by the KBMC—and a shock help offered by the Akaho camp—overturned the decision.
“We now have convened two deliberative committees and mentioned the problem twice,” KBMC chairman John Hwang revealed in an official ruling earlier this week, a duplicate of which was obtained by BoxingScene.com. “Through the battle, Mr. Akaho complained of ache at the back of the top when the referee warned Mr. Casimero about hitting the again of Mr. Akaho’s head. The referee offered Akaho with 5 minutes of relaxation, however Mr. Akaho stated it was unimaginable to battle, so the battle resulted in a ‘No Contest.’”
“Boxing doesn’t have video [replay] utilized in different sports activities equivalent to baseball and soccer, and so forth. but when the aim is to purpose for clear sports activities, the outcomes are justified to vary. The principles of competitors can not apply each scenario precisely case-by-case. As a result of no person is aware of what is going to occur in skilled boxing. Subsequently, KBM adjustments the results of the battle from ‘No Contest’ to Mr. Casimero’s ‘KO win.’”
Casimero (32-4, 22KOs) hadn’t fought in almost 16 months previous to the night time. The 33-year-old from Ormoc Metropolis, Philippines twice did not honor a contractually certain necessary WBO bantamweight title protection versus Paul Butler, first after falling sick previous to their canceled conflict final December after which being faraway from an April 22 headliner in Liverpool after violating BBBofC guidelines prohibiting sauna use throughout battle week.
Butler went on to face and beat Jonas Sultan for the interim WBO bantamweight title, which was upgraded to the total model lower than two weeks later when Casimero was stripped for failure to honor his necessary title protection.
All advised, it left Casimero out of the ring since a break up resolution win over former lineal junior featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux final August 14 in Carson, California. The journey to South Korea doubled as his 122-pound debut, although he needed to wait almost two weeks to formally acquire his first win on the weight.
Casimero jumped out to a powerful begin and had Akaho harm early in spherical two. He was overzealous in gunning for a knockout, touchdown three photographs however lacking on a observe up. Akaho overshot and pulled down the again of Casimero’s head and despatched to the canvas, which referee Someya dominated a knockdown. Casimero laughed off the sequence and proceeded to take the battle to Akaho.
A mid-ring sequence noticed Casimero miss with a proper hand. His arm went throughout the again of Akaho’s head, inflicting the previous title challenger from Yokohama, Japan to fall to the canvas. Time was known as however motion would by no means resume. Akaho spent the whole five-minute restoration interval in a impartial nook, often crouching to the canvas in promoting the second as a blatant foul.
The in-ring resolution on the time was to finish the battle, thus producing the No-Contest verdict. Subsequent proof offered to the Korean boxing fee—coupled with the admission from Akaho’s camp that the boxer’s incapability to proceed was not the results of the dominated unintended foul—satisfied the fee to permit justice to be served for Casimero.
“In a letter to KBM after the battle, Mr. Akaho claimed he [lost by knockout],” famous Hwang. “Yokohama Hikari Health club, which Akaho belongs to, additionally admitted that Mr. Akaho misplaced by KO. Mr. Akaho stated that the injury he acquired was not because of the impression of the punch hit [to] the again of his head. He took a break and tried to battle once more however he gave up as a result of he couldn’t,, and admitted that it was his KO defeat.
“I respect Mr. Akaho’s braveness to submit proof. Instances have modified a bit now. The results that most individuals don’t agree with are fallacious. I don’t assume altering the end result is degrading KBM’s authority. I want Mr. Casimero and Mr. Akaho good luck.”
The modified ruling prolonged Casimero’s present eight-fight win streak. Included within the run is a November 2019 third-round knockout of Zolani Tete to win the WBO bantamweight title, the place he turned a three-division titlist. Casimero beforehand held the IBF junior flyweight and IBF flyweight titles. Apparently, all three title reigns ended outdoors the ring and together with his transferring up in weight in his subsequent battle.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox