Kiefe John Riel Casimero

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In this Philippine name, the family name is Casimero.

John Riel Casimero

Statistics

Real name John Riel Reponte Casimero

Nickname(s) Quadro Alas ("Four Aces")

Light-flyweight
Weight(s)
Flyweight

Bantamweight

Height 5 ft 2+1⁄2 in (159 cm)[1]

Reach 64+1⁄2 in (164 cm)[1]

Nationality Filipino

Born February 13, 1990 (age 31)

Merida, Leyte, Philippines[2]

Stance Orthodox

Boxing record

Total fights 35

Wins 31

Wins by KO 21

Losses 4
 John Riel Casimero (born February 13, 1990) is a Filipino professional boxer. He has
held World championships in three weight classes, including
the WBO bantamweight title since 2019; the IBF junior-flyweight title from 2012 to 2013;
and the IBF flyweight title in 2016. Quadro Alas is Tagalog for four of a kind when
translated, his moniker means Four Aces.
Casimero currently resides in barangay Guizo in Mandaue City, Cebu, where he trains
and lives in the city's IPI Gym.[3]

Contents

 1Professional career
o 1.1Early career
o 1.2IBF light-flyweight champion
 1.2.1Casimero vs. Lazarte
 1.2.2Successful title defenses
o 1.3IBF flyweight champion
 1.3.1Casimero vs. Ruenroeng I and II
 1.3.2Casimero vs. Edwards
o 1.4Bantamweight
o 1.5WBO bantamweight champion
 1.5.1Casimero vs. Tete
 1.5.2Casimero vs. Micah
 1.5.3Casimero vs. Rigondeaux
 2Professional boxing record
 3Personal life
 4See also
 5References
 6External links

Professional career[edit]
Early career[edit]
On August 23, 2008, just a year after turning pro, Casimero defeated Rodel Quilaton for
the then vacant Philippines Boxing Federeration (PBF) flyweight title, winning a
unanimous decision (UD) through ten rounds.[4] Following the bout, Casimero moved
down one division, to light flyweight, defeating Liempetch Sor Veerapol of Thailand by
technical knockout (TKO) in the fifth round to claim the then vacant WBO Asia Pacific
Light Flyweight title.[5] Casimero successfully defended that title two bouts later
against Ardin Diale, until he got the biggest break of his career.
On December 19, 2009, in Managua, Nicaragua, Casimero won the then-vacant interim
WBO light flyweight title, by defeating former interim WBA Light Flyweight
champion César Canchila of Colombia. Canchila had a record of 28–2 coming into the
bout, with his last loss coming from current WBA light flyweight world
champion Giovanni Segura, whom he previously defeated for the interim title. Casimero
gave a spectacular performance, the fight being his first outside his home country. He
was able to knockdown Canchila multiple times until the referee finally stopped the bout
in the 11th round of the scheduled 12 round interim title fight. [6] This win can give
Casimero a title shot against Iván Calderón of Puerto Rico, who previously defeated
Filipino boxer Rodel Mayol.[7] Casimero fought Ramón García Hirales on July 3, 2010,
for his first defense of the interim WBO light flyweight title but lost by split decision.
Casimero got his first shot at a world title when he challenged Moruti Mthalane of South
Africa for the IBF flyweight title on March 26, 2011.[8] He was, however, stopped by the
South African in five rounds, therefore marking his second career loss. [9]
IBF light-flyweight champion[edit]
Casimero vs. Lazarte[edit]
On February 11, 2012, Casimero, and members of his team were kicked and assaulted
when fans in Mar del Plata hurled chairs and stormed the ring following his 10th-round
knockout of local Argentine fighter Luis Alberto Lazarte for the IBF interim junior
flyweight championship.[10] After the riot, police escorted Casimero and his team to their
hotel and provided protection for them. Lazarte later visited to apologize. [10] The
Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest to the Argentine government after Argentine
fans attacked Casimero in the ring after winning the title bout. [10][11] Philippine Foreign
Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez stated that the Philippine Embassy in Buenos
Aires filed a protest with Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is awaiting an
explanation.[10] Lazarte was banned by IBF for threat, sparking a ring riot. [11]
On July 19, 2012, Casimero was upgraded to the status of full IBF junior flyweight
champion because of the inability of Ulises Solis to defend his title on or before October
30.[12]
Successful title defenses[edit]
On his first defense of the IBF junior flyweight title, Casimero faced Pedro Guevara of
Mexico on August 4, 2012. He scored a knockdown in the opening round and fought to
a split decision victory.[13] He successfully made a second defense of his title against
WBC Latino light flyweight champion Luis Alberto Rios on March 16, 2013. [14] His third
defense was against Felipe Salguero on October 26, 2013 and he won by eleventh-
round knockout.[15]
IBF flyweight champion[edit]
Casimero vs. Ruenroeng I and II[edit]
Following his win against Mauricio Fuentes and Armando Santos, Casimero moved
back up to the flyweight division. On June 27, 2015, he lost his return to flyweight bout
via unanimous decision against IBF champion Amnat Ruenroeng in a controversial
match.[16] On May 25, 2016, Casimero challenged Ruenroeng again for the IBF flyweight
title and knocked him out with a vicious left hook to the body in the fourth round to
become a two-division world champion.[17]
Casimero vs. Edwards[edit]
In his second title defence, Casimero faced undefeated Charlie Edwards, on September
10, 2016 on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin vs. Kell Brook at The O2
Arena in London, England. Casimero was on the offensive for most of the fight, as
Edwards was unable to deal with Casimero's ring craft. Casimero upped the pace in the
tenth round, and dropped Edwards with a left hook. Edwards beat the count, but as
soon as he got up, Casimero unleashed a flurry of punches towards the challenger,
which prompted the referee to end the fight immediately. [18]
Bantamweight[edit]
Following Casimero's successful title defense against Charlie Edwards in September
2016, he moved up in weight, fighting in non-title bouts at super-
flyweight, bantamweight and even one bout against Jose Pech at featherweight before
settling at the bantamweight division, [19] where he defeated Ricardo Espinoza Franco via
twelfth-round knockout to win the WBO interim bantamweight title in his first fight in the
United States on April 20, 2019.[20] He defended the interim title on August 24, 2019
against Cesar Ramirez, winning via tenth-round knockout, to become full WBO
bantamweight titleholder Zolani Tete's mandatory challenger, setting up a showdown
with Tete.[21]
WBO bantamweight champion[edit]
Casimero vs. Tete[edit]
On 30 November 2019, Casimero challenged Zolani Tete for his WBO bantamweight
title in Birmingham, England. Despite Tete being the favorite for the fight, Casimero
scored a third-round knockout over the long-reigning champion to capture his WBO
bantamweight title. The victory meant that Casimero became a three-division world
champion.[22]
Casimero vs. Micah[edit]
Casimero had been scheduled to face undefeated unified bantamweight
champion Naoya Inoue in a unification clash on April 25, 2020, but the COVID-19
pandemic caused the fight to be cancelled.[23] He instead faced Duke Micah, ranked #11
by the WBO, in his first WBO bantamweight title defense on September 26, 2020 on the
undercard of The Charlos vs. Dereyvanchenko and Rosario. Casimero recorded
another stoppage win, again in the third round, to retain his WBO belt. [24]
Casimero vs. Rigondeaux[edit]
Casimero faced two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux on August 14,
2021.[25] It was announced on June 19 that WBC champion Nonito Donaire would
replace Rigondeaux,[26] but when the fight between Casimero and Donaire fell apart over
insults directed at Donaire's wife,[27] Rigondeaux stepped back in to fight Casimero as
had been originally planned.[28] In a low-key affair that saw the CompuBox record broken
for fewest combined landed punches in a 12-round fight, Casimero pressured his
opponent all night, fighting on the front foot and throwing more punches than
Rigondeaux, who was reluctant to engage. Casimero was rewarded with a split decision
victory, with scores of 117-111 and 116-112 in his favor, and 115-113 in favor of
Rigondeaux.[29]
In his post-fight interview, Casimero criticized his opponent's extremely passive
gameplan, saying "I'm focused on [the] knockout, but Rigondeaux always runs.
Rigondeaux just always runs. No fighting." He continued by reaffirming that it is his
intention to unify the bantamweight division, targeting the division's other titleholders,
Nonito Donaire and Naoya Inoue. Casimero concluded his interview by issuing
the middle finger to Inoue.[