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| John Riel Casimero is banned from fighting in Japan for one year after missing weight against Saul Sanchez. |
MAKATI--John Riel Casimero's hopes of fighting Naoya Inoue for the undisputed super bantamweight title took a huge hit when the Japan Boxing Commission banned the Filipino boxing star from fighting in their country for one year.
The JBC announced on Wednesday that Casimero is not allowed to fight in Japan within the 12-month window after failing to make weight in his showdown against American opponent Saul Sanchez, which the JBC described as a contract breach.
Casimero first tipped the scales at a shade above 124 pounds, well above the 122-pound limit for their 10-round affair.
He was given an hour to shed off the excess kilogram but still could not make it within the limit, although the fight pushed through eventually since his WBO global junior featherweight title was not on the line.
Despite being forced to play with heavier gloves as part of his penalty, Casimero still knocked out Sanchez in only one round, flooring him twice before the referee eventually stepped in to stop the bout.
The JBC has been known to be very strict in terms of weight management among boxers fighting in Japan regardless of nationality.
With Inoue always preferring to have his bouts in his home country, the 35-year-old Casimero, who openly expressed his interest in challenging Inoue next after the Sanchez knockout, might have to wait until late October next year at the earliest before he can fight Inoue in Japan, although there is a very slim possibility that they can take their much-anticipated bout elsewhere like the United States and even the Philippines.
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