TWO-DIVISION world champion Johnriel Casimero is seeing action in the US this month.
Casimero, a native of Ormoc City, is set to trade leathers with Mexican youngster Ricardo Franco for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) International bantamweight belt on April 20 in Carson, California.
“He’s strong. This should be a good fight. You’ll see somebody get knocked out in the ring,” the 30-year-Casimero told SunStar Cebu.
Casimero, now based in Manila, is still under the guidance of his longtime trainer Jun Agrabio. Casimero is moving up to bantamweight after an unsuccessful stint at 115 pounds.
He was a win away from challenging International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas but he lost to up-and-coming Jonas Sultan by unanimous decision in a title eliminator in 2017.
Casimero bounced back with a second-round stoppage of unheralded Jose Pech the following year and a sixth-round technical knockout of Kenya Yamashita last Feb. 15 in Manila.
The 21-year-old Franco has been very busy piling up wins. He won all six of his fights last year, which included wins over previously undefeated Yeison Vargas and Daniel Lozano. He is coming off a 10th round knockout win over former world title challenger Ricardo Nuñez.
Casimero is 26-4 with 17 knockouts, while Franco is 23-2 with 20 knockouts.
Casimero still has to shed an excess weight of 10 pounds.
Casimero, the former IBF light flyweight and flyweight titleholder, and Agrabio will leave for the US on April 11.
With a win, Casimero should break into bantamweight rankings of the WBO and get a step closer at his third division title. (EKA)