NAGOYA, Japan — Three-division champion Johnriel Casimero had the biggest laugh Friday when he easily conquered the scales while his Mexican opponent Luis Nery struggled making the contracted weight of 124 pounds for their 10-round special attraction taking place Saturday at the Aichi Sky Expo.
The bell rings at 4 p.m. (3 p.m. Manila time).
“I was surprised that everyone was thinking that I won’t make the weight when I was already on weight when I was still in the Philippines,” Casimero told DAILY TRIBUNE at the sidelines.
There is no title at stake in this mouthwatering matchup but the excitement builds given Casimero’s reputation as a total performer and Nery’s war mentality on top of the ring.
“This is going to be easy work for me,” said Casimero, who made a slash-throat gesture to prove his point.
While Casimero was cool, calm and collected, Nery, rugged and heavy-handed, was a picture of frustration.
Casimero was a shade under 124 pounds but Nery came in more than three pounds over and he was given two hours to cut down to the agreed weight.
After one and half hours, the southpaw Nery came back and still weighed heavy.
“Only a small percentage of his weight was cut,” said a Team Casimero member who witnessed the second weighin.
Officials here also urged Nery not to weigh more than 134 pounds on the morning of the fight or face a stiff penalty.
Casimero, 37, enters the ring with a 35-5-1 win-loss-draw record with 24 knockouts.
Nery, younger by six years, parades a 37-2-0 mark with 28 knockouts.
