NAGOYA, Japan — Johnriel Casimero is trying to get Naoya “Monster” Inoue out of his mind but his latest showing — a brutal six-knockdown-filled four-round knockout of Luis Nery of Mexico — makes it difficult for him to do just that.
“We all know what the people are dying to see,” Casimero said, sounding bitter that the only fight that he is craving for almost a decade remains elusive.
His destruction of Nery, who went six rounds with the Japanese pound-for-pound star, was so sensational that it could convince Inoue’s people that facing Casimero might mess up their plans.
Even Filipino boxing personalities who attended the fights at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname were utterly impressed by Casimero’s decisive win.
“Casimero’s truly different,” admitted two-division champion Gerry Peñalosa, whose fighter Kenneth Llover was unsuccessful in a bid to earn a shot at the International Boxing Federation bantamweight crown.
“There’s nothing that you can do even if you bash him online. The important thing is he puts on a great show,” he said.
Gerry’s brother Carl Jr. echoed the same sentiment.
“He really hits very hard,” said Carl Jr., who trains Pedro Taduran, the Philippines’ lone world champion.
Even Benny dela Peña, who assisted another Filipino fighter who fought in the undercard but lost, is a Casimero admirer.
“He has no fear. That is the reason why he punches hard.”
Carl Jr. added: “If he gets to fight Inoue, he has got a big chance of winning.”
Casimero floored Nery thrice in the first round alone and once each in the second and third.
He finally pulled the plug on Nery’s bid to ruin his party plans by landing a rock-solid right-left combination that sent the Tijuana-based southpaw down.
The Japanese referee didn’t even bother to count, fully aware that Casimero would probably just inflict unnecessary punishment if he didn’t intervene.
There is no definite fight date for Inoue but he has been saying that Casimero’s not on his agenda.
But given the growing clamor for him to defend the undisputed titles against Casimero, the pressure will be on Inoue to either accept the challenge or just turn a blind eye on the Filipino puncher’s presence.
And if indeed Inoue deflects Casimero’s advances, hardcore fight fans will forever debate whether Inoue is really the monster that he is.
