Green and go

Three-division world champion Johnriel Casimero has been cleared to fight next month in Japan, the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) said on Monday.

But GAB chairman Francisco Rivera made it clear that investigation on the fighter’s alleged involvement in game-fixing will continue after the agency reached out to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“We referred the matter to the NBI, including the examination of the phones of the Casimero brothers,” Rivera told DAILY TRIBUNE.

The GAB summoned Casimero and his brother cum trainer Jayson last week to explain their side on the statements made by Jayson following Johnriel’s fight with Japanese Kyonosuke Kameda that he lost late last month in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

In a social media post that went viral and that has also been deleted, Jayson said that Johnriel had to lose the fight in exchange for a bigger fight down the road.

The Casimeros, who are said to be not fluent in Tagalog, claimed that the statement was lost in translation.

Still, the GAB acted on a few complaints that were filed by a few parties.

But based on the Casimero’s written statement that was personally submitted to the GAB last Thursday, Rivera said the brothers had expressed their desire to help put an end to the issue by submitting their phones for cyber investigation.

“In the meantime, and by reason of Casimero’s full cooperation, we are leaning towards allowing him to fight in December,” Rivera said.

Casimero, who turns 37 in February next year, is the most popular Filipino fighter after Manny Pacquiao.

Known for his punching power and daredevil attitude atop the ring, Casimero packs a 34-5-1 win-loss-draw record with 23 knockouts.

Before his career took a tailspin, the Leyte-born Casimero was based in the United States.

Since 2021, Casimero has been embroiled in a series of controversies surrounding his habit of not making weight.

He is coming off a 12-month suspension by the Japan Boxing Commission.

With the GAB paving the way for his next fight, Casimero has a chance to resuscitate his career with a sensational performance in Japan.