Too bad that three-division champion John Riel Casimero is not included in the Thrilla in Manila card that will be on full display on 29 October.

If only Casimero remained a fighter of MP Promotions, he would have been the headliner and not World Boxing Council strawweight king Melvin Jerusalem.

Such is the drawing power of Casimero, the heavy-handed and brash hitter from Leyte.

Despite his being suspended, Casimero remains immensely popular among Filipino fight fans.

But because Casimero and American dealmaker Sean Gibbons are no longer seeing eye-to-eye, the exciting boxer will have no choice but to wait for the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) to lift his suspension so his new promoter can schedule his first fight in a year.

You see, Casimero got slapped with a 12-month ban by the JBC for coming in overweight for the nth time against Saul Sanchez in Yokohama.

Even though he knocked Sanchez out in just one round, the JBC wasn’t amused.

Still, people are still drooling over the prospects of seeing him battle Naoya Inoue.

While there is still that chance it could happen, his being not under Gibbons’ management and promotional team only makes it extra difficult for it to ever take place.

But if he is still an MP fighter, Casimero might be up there with the world’s most popular and earning millions and millions.

Because Casimero is getting bad advice, it doesn’t look like he is being considered as a candidate for the Inoue sweepstakes.

Time is not running out.

Casimero can still do business with Gibbons.

I have spoken to Gibbons about this a lot and he says he is not closing that door.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this happens before Casimero ends up becoming a stepping stone.

And if that happens, that’s going to be very sad.