JOHN Riel Casimero will face Mexican fighter Luis Nery in an important super-bantamweight bout on April 18, 2026, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The two former world champions will fight for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Global super-bantamweight title at the Gazprom Sports Complex. Their match will be one of the main attractions of a three-day boxing event organized by Saikou x Lush Boxing Promotions.
For Casimero, the fight is very important. The 37-year-old Filipino is trying to return to the world rankings and move closer to a possible dream fight against Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue, who currently holds all the major world titles in the super-bantamweight division.
Because of his age, Casimero needs an impressive win over Nery to prove he can still compete at the highest level.
Casimero has not fought in the super-bantamweight division for two years. His last fight in the 122-pound weight class was in 2024, when he knocked out Mexican boxer Saul Sanchez in just one round.
His two most recent fights in 2025 were held in the featherweight division. He lost to Japan’s Kyonosuke Kameda by unanimous decision early in the year, but later bounced back by knocking out Tom Mizokoshi in the fifth round.
Nery, who is 31 years old, is currently one of the top fighters in both the super-bantamweight and featherweight divisions. He is ranked No. 4 by the WBO at super-bantamweight. He is also ranked No. 5 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Association (WBA), and No. 10 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) at featherweight.
Nery previously challenged Inoue in 2024 but lost by sixth-round stoppage. However, he recovered with back-to-back victories over Kameda and Thailand’s Sathaporn Saart.
Casimero enters the fight with a professional record of 35 wins, five losses, and one draw, including 24 knockouts. Nery owns a strong 37-2 record with 28 knockouts. / EKA