NAGOYA, Japan — Mexican banger Luis “Pantera” Nery swears his Filipino opponent Johnriel Casimero is armed and dangerous and that their 10-round featherweight clash this Saturday in nearby Tokoname will be an absolute war.
“He is tough and powerful and has a lot of experience,” Nery told Ring Star.
Nery and Casimero will square off at a catchweight of 124 pounds and there are rumors circulating that the winner could end up vying for a world crown next.
“This is a stepping stone for me,” said Nery, who is 31 years old and six years younger than Casimero.
Nery arrived in Japan on Monday and enters the ring the betting favorite.
But the southpaw Nery knows that Casimero a three-division champion, is “tough and powerful.”
Casimero brings to the ring a 35-5-1 win-loss-draw mark with 24 knockouts while Nery, a two-division titleholder, holds a 37-2-0 ledger with 28 knockouts.
“I am not fighting some inexperienced fighter,” added Nery, who is attempting to avenge a sixth-round knockout defeat to pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue in May 2024 in Tokyo.
Casimero is a live underdog owing to his inactivity and perennial weight woes but is nonetheless a serious threat to anyone given his explosiveness.
