As Manny Pacquiao awaits word from Floyd Mayweather in relation to their September showdown on Netflix, the current face of Philippine boxing is that of Johnriel “Quadro Alas” Casimero.
Even though Casimero is not a world champion, the Leyte native is so popular that his latest victory — a brutal fourth-round knockout of Luis Nery of Mexico in Japan — went viral that Filipino fight fans are still discussing his exploits days after as if he had just repulsed a mandatory challenger.
Casimero, a three-division world champion, is still pursuing a superfight with Japanese pound-for-pound king Naoya “Monster” Inoue.
His smashing win over Nery — otherwise seen as a strong case to have them battle each other — could even make it more difficult to arrange such a mouth-watering matchup according to the Filipino banger.
“This latest win of mine is the reason why Inoue doesn’t want to fight me,” said the 37-year-old former International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight and flyweight titlist and World Boxing Organization bantamweight king.
It is a claim that Inoue has brushed off repeatedly given the fact that one time in early 2020, they had already agreed to square off in Las Vegas.
But Covid prevented that from happening and when everything started to become normal once again, that fight was never revived, leaving fight fans wondering what would have happened if they had faced off.
Though he is not admitting it, Casimero wants to get in the ring with Inoue, confident that he is the only man in the world who could deal him his first loss in 34 fights.
“I am no longer thinking about him because no matter what I do, in the end, he doesn’t want to fight me,” said Casimero. “What can I do?”
But in reality, Casimero is dying to finally test the mettle of Inoue and prove that he, and not Inoue, deserves a lofty spot in the mythical pound-for-pound rankings.
Although Inoue might have a valid reason to distance himself from Casimero, the fact that almost everyone was left amazed by Casimero’s latest foray could also work in his favor.
Right now, there is no challenge in Inoue’s backyard as he has been beating up every available foe thrown into the ring with him.
In Casimero, Inoue has a serious threat to his four titles.
For the first time in a long while, Inoue will be up against a formidable foe, somebody who could rival his punching power and someone who’s not afraid to engage him in a phone booth warfare.
These traits make Casimero a legitimate candidate who could mess up Inoue’s grand plans and become the successor to Manny Pacquiao.
Interestingly, Pacquiao and Casimero have lots in common.
Like Pacquiao, Casimero is a punching machine.
Pacquiao is fearless and doesn’t run away from a fight, characteristics that made the eight-division legend a fan favorite.
Casimero is also brave and even brash, making him a rich source of peppery quotes.
But in reality, Casimero, despite his being a trash talker, is loved by provincial folks.
The day after his arrival from Nagoya, Casimero held a feast and gave away cash gifts as a way of giving back to the community that loves him dearly.
Given his limited education and his rough ways, Casimero’s image is that of a thug, something that makes him a spectacle on from public utility drivers to airport porters, Casimero’s highlight reel of his beatdown of Nery were played repeatedly as if they were Pacquiao’s greatest hits.
One early morning recently at NAIA Terminal 3, a group of guys could be seen congregating in one corner, their eyes wide in amazement.
A quick look at the screen of one of the mobile phones showed some crazy clips of Casimero’s crushing performance.
It was a scene reminiscent of the days when Pacquiao was taking center stage with his high-stakes duel with the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.
Only this time, the guy in the spotlight is not Pacquiao but somebody who shares Pacman’s winning pedigree.
One thing though, Casimero badly needs Inoue to somehow become even more mainstream.
And a win over him is one big step towards reaching cult-like status.
Once that happens, Casimero would be holding an unbeatable hand.
