Congrats to WBO Bantamweight World Champion John Riel Casimero@casimerojr (30-4, 21 KO’s), who defeated Duke Micah (24-1, 19 KOs) by 3rd-Round TKO in his first United States Debut @ Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut.

Casimero stated, “I worked hard and got the win tonight. In the first round I saw the body shot hurt him and thought I could get him out right away, but he’s a good boxer who was undefeated for a reason.

“The second round the uppercut hurt him, but Duke Micah works hard, he’s strong and has a good chin. I knew I was facing a good fighter, so I didn’t expect to knock him out so fast. He’s strong so I was prepared to go all 12 rounds.

“I’m the real monster. Naoya Inoue is scared of me. You’re next. I would have knocked out anyone today. If Inoue doesn’t fight me, then I’ll fight Guillermo Rigondeaux, Luis Nery, or any of the top fighters.”

Photo by Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME

In boxing, the word journeyman is often code for inept, a lukewarm euphemism for a tomato can, ham-and-egger, has-been, palooka, and that most scornful of monikers, bum.

Which is why it might behoove one to exercise a certain level of discretion when applying that label to a fighter like John Riel Casimero. It turns out the word has several shades of meanings.

In the strictest, non-stigmatic sense of the word, the Filipino bantamweight is a journeyman through and through; there is just no hiding this. Just scan his BoxRec and you’ll find that since 2007, Casimero, 31, has scoured the globe looking for paydays in Thailand, Panama, Argentina, China, Mexico, Nicaragua, England, South Africa, and the United States. That makes 10 countries in all, including his homeland, making him something of an outsourcer’s dream.

But unlike his other well-travelled peers – and this is the key distinction – Casimero rarely loses.

Now, the Filipino road warrior will yet again defend his title on foreign soil when he takes on the undefeated Duke Micah (24-0, 19 KOs) of Ghana Saturday, September 26 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

More on https://www.premierboxingchampions.com/news/john-riel-casimero-journeyman-champion

Photo by Sumio Yamada

A five-foot-five-inch, 118-pound Japanese monster is ready to take over the Las Vegas Strip. WBA/IBF bantamweight world champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue, the three-weight world champion climbing the mythical pound-for-pound rankings, will make his Las Vegas debut Saturday, April 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in a unification bout against WBO bantamweight world champion and fellow three-weight kingpin Johnriel Casimero.

Inoue is coming off a memorable decision in the 2019 Ring Magazine and ESPN.com Fight of the Year against future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire. This will be Inoue’s first bout under his long-term promotional agreement with Top Rank.

Inoue-Casimero and the 10-round bantamweight tilt featuring WBO No. 1 contender Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. and WBO No. 2 contender Jason Moloney will stream LIVE on ESPN+ beginning at 9 p.m. ET. In the final undercard bout on the ESPN+ stream, former super featherweight world champion Andrew Cancio will take on Tyler McCreary in a 10-rounder.

The preliminary bouts will air live on ESPN2 (7 p.m. ET) and will include the return of former world title challenger Alex “El Cholo” Saucedo in a 10-round super lightweight bout.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Ohashi Promotions, MP Promotions, TGB Promotions and SGG Sports Promotions, tickets priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25 (not including applicable fees) go on sale Friday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased online at www.axs.com or by phone at 888-929-7849.

“The ‘Monster’ is coming to Las Vegas, and we couldn’t be more excited,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He is a generational talent, a fierce competitor who is ready to take the United States by storm. Casimero is a seasoned champion, and Inoue knows he’s in for a firefight at Mandalay Bay.”

Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs), 26, won his first title in only his sixth pro fight, knocking out Adrian Hernandez to win the WBC light flyweight crown. He is 14-0 with 12 knockouts in world title bouts, as he defended his light flyweight title once before moving up two weight classes to knock out long-time WBO junior bantamweight world champion Omar Narvaez in two rounds in December 2014. He defended that belt seven times before setting his sights on the bantamweight division. His first three bantamweight title bouts lasted a total of four rounds, as he catapulted up pound-for-pound lists with stoppages over Emmanuel Rodriguez and Juan Carlos Payano. The Donaire bout — the final of the World Boxing Super Series tournament — was the ultimate gut check, as he suffered a broken orbital bone before prevailing in an instant classic.

“It is a tremendous honor and a dream come true to headline a card in Las Vegas against a great fighter like Casimero,” Inoue said. “It is my goal to be the undisputed bantamweight king, and I am coming to America to put on a great fight for the fans. I would like to thank Mr. Bob Arum and MGM Resorts for making my Las Vegas dream a reality. Now, the work begins, and I will kick off my 2020 schedule at Mandalay Bay in devastating fashion.”

Casimero (29-4, 20 KOs), from Ormoc City, Philippines, is a newly minted bantamweight world champion who upset South African southpaw Zolani Tete via third-round TKO last November in Birmingham England. A world traveler, Casimero has won world title bouts in Mexico, England, China, Panama and the Philippines, in addition to interim world title bouts in Argentina, Nicaragua and the United States. He is on a five-bout winning streak and is in his physical prime at 29 years old. The Inoue-Casimero winner will be one belt shy of completely unifying the division, as WBC world champion Nordine Oubaali holds the final piece of the championship puzzle.

“This is my dream fight. I have traveled the world and fought in 10 countries. I’ve won world titles at 108, 112 and 118 pounds,” Casimero said. “But ever since I saw my hero and fellow countryman, Senator Manny Pacquiao, fight in Las Vegas, that has been my dream. To everyone who thinks I am the underdog on April 25, I will shock the world and show the fans who the real ‘Monster’ is in the ring.”

Jeff Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton predicted how the Aussie boxer would beat Manny Pacquiao 24 hours before the fight.

Pacquiao looked disinterested in the lead-up and admits taking Horn lightly after sensationally losing to the Aussie boxer.

Trainer Freddie Roach and advisor Michael Koncz did all his talking for him at the start of the week.

They clearly took a dismissive attitude towards Horn and Rushton, laughing off their challenge for the WBO welterweight title and egging Pacquiao on to seek an early knockout win.

In front of a packed hometown crowd at Suncorp Stadium, Horn punched his ticket to boxing’s big time with a gusty performance to win Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight championship.

Pacquiao said he accepted the judges’ decision and didn’t take Horn as seriously as he should have.

“I didn’t expect (he would be) that tough,” he said.

Pacquiao’s Aussie trainer and former heavyweight boxer Justin Fortune also admitted they underestimated the 29-year-old local hope.

“He fought better than we ever thought he would,” Fortune said.

“Jeff fought 100 times better than he’ll ever fight again. The kid’s got a lot of heart, a lot of balls. We’ll see where he goes from there.

“We knew he would fight nothing like we ever saw him on video, because 50,000 people, it’s your home, you’ll fight.”

But Fortune made it clear he did not agree with the result.

“The referee was sketchy, the judges were crazy,” Fortune told reporters.

“Manny lost the fight, but Jeff Horn looks like a pumpkin. Those scores, that card? It should be the other way around.

“You can make as many excuses as you’d like – it was a sh*tty referee, sh*tty judging. But that’s boxing.

“You get given a gift sometimes, you get screwed sometimes. But when you come to someone’s house you’re supposed to mess them up… never leave it in the judge’s hands.”

www.boxingscene.com/fortune-horn-fought-better-we-ever-thought-he–118183

 

pacquiao-bradley-rematch (16)

By Jake Donovan –

The worst thing you can ask a fighter if you are in search of an honest answer is what he plans to do with a win in his upcoming fight. The response most often offered will be that they are focused on nothing other than the fight in front of them, and that all bets are off until the outcome is decided.

That’s why fighters have promoters and managers – so they can plan the next move. When they are in the mood, they can even talk about it as well.

So when Juan Manuel Marquez and Mike Alvarado insist that the only thing that matters right now is their head-on collision on May 17, we have to respect their response. After all, both fighters are coming off of a loss – Marquez dropping a close but clear decision to Tim Bradley, while Alvarado suffered a heartbreaking stoppage defeat in a Denver homecoming versus Ruslan Provodnikov.

Needless to say, a second straight loss could prove damaging to either boxer. A win, however, immediately puts that fighter back into the title mix. Given what’s at stake in this fight, it’s a hell of a prize to claim to ignore until after the fight.

But at least their promoter is talking.

“Well, I’m not the one fighting,” quipped Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, whose Top Rank company presents this weekend’s action at The Forum in Los Angeles. “So, the first thing I did was talk to Manny Pacquiao, and he’s up to fight the winner.

“There’s nothing contractual with the winner of the two fighters on Saturday. I will offer the fight to the winner and it’s up to them to accept it or reject it.”

It’s hardly happenchance that such a fight is being offered for this weekend’s winner. In addition to promoting all three fighters, Arum secured sanctioning for the fight – which takes place at a contracted maximum weight of 144 lb. – to serve as an official title eliminator for the right to challenge for Pacquiao’s belt.

Pacquiao reclaimed his place among the best welterweights in the world with a convincing 12-round points win over Timothy Bradley Jr. last month in Las Vegas. The win avenged a highly controversial defeat suffered nearly two years prior, though the Filipino southpaw was later forced to overcome a far more damaging blow to his career when Marquez knocked him out cold in their 6th round of their Dec. ’12 war, which was honored as Fight of the Year.

Alvarado is new to the mix, having yet to fight any of the aforementioned welterweights. Marquez and Pacquiao, on the other hand, have one of the longest running rivalries in the sport’s history. Dating back to their first fight just over ten years ago, there has been little to separate the two in each of their four encounters, with the exception of Marquez’ conclusive knockout ending in their last fight.

Fans have forever disputed the outcomes of each of their previous three encounters, in which they fought to a draw, followed by two close, controversial decisions narrowly won by Pacquiao.

Marquez spent most of those years chasing one more fight with Pacquiao to settle the score, which he was finally able to do last time around. He had even reached a point in his career where he saw little reason to continue if a fifth fight with one of the two biggest superstars in the sport couldn’t be made.

Yet through it all, May 17 is all that matters if you ask the future Hall of Famer.

“All I’m thinking is first things first and that’s May 17,” Marquez (55-7-1, 40KO) insists. “After I win this Saturday, if (a 5th fight) with Pacquiao is there, it’s there. I just want to have this fight on Saturday and it goes from there.”

His opponent was a little more forthcoming in at least acknowledging what awaits the winner.

“This is a huge opportunity. We’re both coming off of losses, but this fight is going to lead to a bigger fight,” Alvarado (34-2, 23KO) said of the reward that will come with Saturday’s bout. “It means a lot to both of our careers. It helps motivate me to train that much harder, knowing that I’m in a category with the best of the world.

“I’m happy, I’m excited and I’m ready for this show to begin this weekend.”

Alvarado has every reason to be anxious to move on to his next fight. The Colorado boxer has lost two of his last three contests, with both losses coming in brutal slugfests. His first defeat – a 7th round stoppage versus Brandon Rios in their Oct. ’12 war – was avenged five months later, but fell into the same kind of trouble against Provodnikov last October.

Worse than the actual loss itself, Alvarado’s dramatic decline in the fight coupled with the manner in which the bout developed and ultimately ended raised concerns from those closest to him about his health, including requests of retirement from his loved ones. Alvarado insists such talks have no place in his career at the moment, although he took such feedback in the most uplifting manner.

“They just want to make sure I’m safe, that I’m OK. They are my number-one supporters and as long as I know they’re there for me, I’m OK.”

Being repositioned for a potential title shot despite coming off of a knockout loss let Alvarado know that he has more than just his family in his corner.

“I was surprised,” Alvarado admitted of the chance to fight in a title eliminator. “But it also tells me that Top Rank has my back. I’m ready to step up to the plate and put on a better show. I’m ready to redeem myself and put on a good show. That’s what this weekend is all about.”

As far as Marquez is concerned, this weekend is all about pleasing the fans. Entertainment comes first, with business to be discussed whenever he feels the time to be appropriate.

“This fight will be a war,” Marquez guarantees, about as far into the future as he wishes to predict. “He likes to fight. I like to fight. The people win because the people want to see this type of fight.”

Should Marquez win, the fight those same people – and millions of others – would like to see him take another run at a major title. Including the title he was practically given at 140 lb., Marquez has won belts in four weight classes and – three months shy from his 41st birthday – believes time remains on his side to add to that total.

“Obviously that’s what I want to do – make history by winning a title in five weight classes, something no other Mexican fighter has ever done,” Marquez admits.

With that in mind, how can he NOT help but look ahead of Alvarado and towards the future?

“It’s not difficult for me. I feel right now like I am fully concentrated on Mike Alvarado,” Marquez promises. “Maybe in the future I will have “the most” important fight of my career. But right now, I’m only thinking about Mike Alvarado.”

In the meantime, everyone else is thinking about what will come next.

“Manny has agreed to fight the winner,” Arum reiterates. “I will say that pretty much once we get the terms worked out, it will be a done deal.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/pacquiao-prize-awaits-marquez-alvarado-winner–77789

111513rios00t

Photos: James Dayap –

Today in Macau, a reporter asked Brandon Rios about “…all of the pressure going into a fight against Manny Pacquiao.”

“No pressure on me,” Rios said at his daily workout. “I’ll be the one putting all of the pressure on him November 23. I’m retiring Pacqiuao. I said it before and I’ll say it again – Pacquiao’s time is over. Marquez took the last bit of life out of him. I’m going to get all of that Manny Money when I win and get ready for my next fight.”

Rios worked the mitts with chief trainer Robert Garcia, then worked on a heavy bag, then the speed bag at the gym inside of the Venetian Macau.

On Friday, Rios will have his last day of sparring against lefthander Erick DeLeon of Detroit. “I’ve been training five months, the longest camp of my life,” Rios said. “But this work is what it takes to win a fight like this.”

111513rios00t2 thumbs_111513rios002

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/brandon-rios-no-pressure-on-me-ill-be-putting-pressure-on-pacquiao-on-fight-night-november-23-231112

 

Podría ser en Las Vegas la quinta pelea entre el mexicano y el filipino

          

Pacquiao (izquierda) quiere pelear en abril en Filipinas. (AP)

Por Rigo Cervantez / Especial para ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com

LOS ÁNGELES – La quinta versión de la serie de confrontaciones entre el mexicano Juan Manuel Márquez y el filipino Manny Pacquiao, está cocinada y lista para servirse, el próximo mes de septiembre, presumiblemente, en Las Vegas, Nevada, informó a ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com Ricardo Jiménez, vocero de la empresa Top Rank.

“Pacquiao va a iniciar su campaña de reelección en mayo y junio, por ello, desea pelear en abril. Pero, de no hacerse ese combate que él quiere, entonces lo volveríamos a ver hasta el mes de septiembre, contra Juán Manuel Márquez,” indicó Jiménez.

El congresista filipino, que tiene un contrato de exclusividad con Top Rank hasta el final de 2014, desea pelear en su país, antes de retirarse del boxeo:

“Pacquiao quiere una pelea en abril, en Filipinas o en alguna capital asiática. Una promoción que no es fácil, por todo lo que pide él de bolsa y no cualquier rival puede generar una taquilla importante,” añadió el vocero de la empresa promotora que preside Bob Arum.

Luego de tres pleitos con desenlaces más que controversiales, en los que Pacquiao (54-5-2), había salido con la mano en alto en dos oportunidades, mientras que la tercera era declarada empate, el pasado 8 de diciembre, Márquez (55-6-1), lograba el nocaut número 40 de su carrera, dejando a su rival de bruces sobre la lona, tras un certero derechazo al mentón, en el sexto asalto.

http://www.elnuevodia.com/combatemarquezpacquiaoseriaenseptiembre-1437833.html

In a follow-up to an earlier report on BoxingScene.com, WBO junior welterweight king Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39KOs) states that he plans to fight the WBO champion at welterweight, Timothy Bradley (29-0, 12KOs), likely on November 10th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Marquez will go for a fight with Bradley – if a potential fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao falls through.

In an earlier BoxingScene report, Marquez’s promoter, Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions, said there are ongoing discussions to make a fourth fight with Pacquiao, but there is not contract to outline the terms and the Filipino superstar has yet to make a decision on his next opponent. The dates being discussed are December 1 and December 8th, says Beltran.

“We are first in line [to fight Pacquiao], without any doubt. [However], Juan Manuel and I do not depend on Pacquiao. We have various options; one of them is Tim Bradley, but yes [I think] the fight with Pacquiao will [happen]. We just need to get all of the conditions in writing. On Monday I met with Márquez [in Tijuana] and we talked [but there is no contract to show]. [The fight would happen] in Las Vegas, although the Pacman insists that he would beat Marquez in his home [of Mexico]. And the two dates discussed: 1st or 8th of December,” Beltran said.

Marquez agrees with his promoter.

“I spoke in length with my promoter Fernando Beltrán and we discussed all of the possible scenarios for my next fight. The first scenerio is to face Pacquiao again and that’s almost a fact, but in this business anything can happen. If for any reason Pacquiao does not materialize, we will go against Timothy Bradley in November,” Marquez said.

Beltran said there are “several plans in place for Márquez in the remote chance that we do not go against Manny Pacquiao. There are opponents for Juan Manuel who will turn out to be a success in every aspect.¨

By: Miguel Rivera and Rafael Soto

http://www.boxingscene.com/marquez-plans-fight-bradley-if-pacquiao-falls-through–56523

Zanfer Promotions President Fernando Beltran, who promotes WBO 140-pound champion Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39KOs) in Mexico, has a good feeling that Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38KOs) will select Marquez as the opponent for November 10th in either Dallas or Las Vegas.

Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum flew to Manila on Monday to meet with Pacquiao and finalize an opponent for the November date. In terms of business, Arum appears to prefer Marquez. Pacquiao has fought Marquez three times in the past and all three of their bouts have ended with controversy. Last November Pacquiao won a close majority decision in their third meeting.

The other two options include WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who won a controversial decision over Pacquiao in June, and former three division champion Miguel Cotto, who Pacquiao stopped in the twelfth round in 2009. Cotto, who fights at 154-pounds and seems set to return on December 1 in New York’s Madison Square Garden, is the least likely option.

By: Jose Luis Camarillo

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=55819#ixzz23AjqrlJL

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao has chosen his next opponent, and it’s not Floyd Mayweather. In an interview at his office Wednesday, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao has chosen his next opponent — whom Arum would only divulge was one of the four previously reported candidates, Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley, Miguel Cotto or Lamont Peterson — and plans to make his return to the ring on June 9 at a new outdoor facility off the Strip.

Arum reiterated that the problem with making a May fight with Mayweather was the timing. Mayweather has insisted that the fight take place May 5, tweeting Tuesday that “the date can’t change.” Arum says construction on a 38,000-seat temporary facility cannot be completed until later in the month. On Wednesday, Arum said he met with construction officials as well as officials from the Wynn and Sands Hotel. Arum also visited the construction site, a 40-acre plot jointly owned by the two hotels.

“To be safe, they said they needed until the end of May to get it done,” Arum said. “Economically, it’s a problem that Floyd created. The amount that would be lost by moving it up to May 5th is enormous. The fight is not going to happen on May 5th. We’ll do the fight in November. There is no real magic in doing it in May.”

Arum says he plans to move forward with building the outdoor facility and test it out in Pacquiao’s next fight. Arum added that he and Pacquiao were on the same page as far as Pacquiao’s future.

“He realizes that economically the May 5th date is not smart,” Arum said. “If you postpone it two or three weeks, you can make so much more money. Mayweather told the court he was committed to fight on May 5th. I think they lied and said Pacquiao was ready to fight him. Now they are saying the judge ordered them to fight on May 5? Was the MGM behind this? If the judge says you have to surrender yourself on June 1st, what the f— does it matter to the judge if you fight on May 5th or two weeks later?”

A call and text message to Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, was not immediately returned.

 

Chris Mannix

http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/01/18/arum-pacquiaos-next-fight-will-not-be-against-mayweather/

El púgil capitalino pelearía en la Ciudad de México el 17 de marzo en caso de que Manny Pacquiao rechace el combate frente al mexicano

Si Juan Manuel Márquez quería pelear en la Ciudad de México antes de retirarse, todo indica que este sueño podría cristalizarse el 17 de marzo, cuando inauguraría la nueva Arena Ciudad de México ante un rival aún por designar, aunque suena fuerte el zurdo David Díaz, si es que el ‘Dinamita’ no es elegido como siguiente rival de Manny Pacquiao.

El promotor mexicano Fernando Beltrán estableció que aunque se confía en que ‘Juanma’ pueda pelear una vez más con Pacquiao para junio, también existe la posibilidad de que el mejor peleador azteca del momento tenga su cita en el nuevo escenario.

“A nosotros nos gustaría la pelea con Pacquiao, pero si no, existe una gran posibilidad de que peleé en la nueva Arena ante un zurdo como David Díaz, así mataríamos dos pájaros de un tiro pues cumpliría su sueño de pelear en la Ciudad de México y además pelearía con un zurdo como preparación para un nuevo duelo con Pacquiao”, dijo el promotor fronterizo.

Beltrán Rendón comentó además que el 2012 será el mejor para el boxeo mexicano luego de firmar una nueva alianza con Todd DuBoef de Top Rank, Rodrigo Fernández de Azteca 7 y Daniel Cuellar de Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma en una magna conferencia en la que los acompañó la Bicampeona Jackie Nava.

Jackie anunció su regreso para el 28 de enero próximo en su natal Tijuana, donde se enfrentará a la panameña Chantal Martínez por el título Supergallo de la Asociación Mundial de Boxeo, duelo que consideró complicado, pero bueno para abrir el 2012.

“Queremos seguir con las buenas actuaciones que tuvimos en 2011, primero viene Chantal y luego parece que viene la tercera pelea con Ana María Torres”, dijo la ‘Princesa Azteca’, quien podría pelear con ‘La Guerrera’ durante la Feria de San Marcos en Aguascalientes en mayo.

En los enfrentamientos más importantes del primer trimestre de este año, se anunció la pelea entre Julio César Chávez y Marco Antonio Rubio del 4 de febrero en San Antonio, la pelea de Jorge ‘Travieso’ Arce para el 18 de febrero en Durango y el retorno de Rafael Márquez para el 25 de febrero.

 

SALVADOR RODRÍGUEZ

http://www.record.com.mx/tmf/2012-01-11/dinamita-marquez-inauguraria-la-arena-ciudad-de-mexico

WBO/WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39KOs) has once again discussed his interest in facing WBO 140-pound champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12KOs). Marquez, who turns 39-years-old in August, is looking to retire by the end of 2012 and wants the best fights possible. The top priority is a fourth fight with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who won a twelve round majority decision over Marquez on November 16th.

If Pacquiao is unavailable, Marquez wants Bradley. He considers Bradley’s style as being more diffcult to overcome in comparison to Pacquiao, who the Mexican champion faced for 36 rounds.

“If it won’t be Pacquiao, then I want it to be Bradley. Erik Morales is a good fighter [at 140] but we want the best possible options there are.Bradley is the better option. He holds the best ranking [at 140] and he has a style that is more difficult than Pacquiao,” Marquez said.

 

By Miguel Rivera

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48084