John Riel Casimero Vs. Nonito Donaire Unification Fight In Negotiation For December 11

WBO bantamweight champion John Riel Casimero is targeted to get back in the ring in December. The question now is, who will he face?

Casimero (31-4, 21 KOs) pulled out with a split decision victory over Guillermo Rigondeaux (20-2, 13 KOs) in a fight that drew boos from the audience due to lack of action. Still, that hasn’t stopped the Filipino boxer from calling out Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire; Rappler reported that a fight against Donaire is in the works, and it’s targeted for December 11.

Casimero was supposed to take on Donaire last month, but that fell through after Casimero’s unwillingness to be involved in VADA (The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) drug testing. Donaire’s wife, Rachel, got mixed in with the feud saying that she stands for VADA “24/7/365 testing for ALL boxers.”

Casimero hasn’t been afraid to call Donaire “scared” of fighting him.

Donaire, 38, is also a Filipino native like Casimero. He has held a number of world championships in four weight classes. He currently holds the WBC bantamweight title.

The winner of the potential fight would have a chance to hit the ring with Inoue sometime in 2022. Inoue is currently a unified bantamweight world champion.

Inoue, of Japan, is who Casimero seems to really be after.

“Naoya Inoue, I know he has power, but me too. I’m very powerful. Naoya and me in a fight, that is a very perfect style,” Casimero said earlier this month. “Even in the house of Inoue, I’ll fight him. No problem.

Inoue responded to Casimero’s callouts, acknowledging a fight and added he wants to “beat him into the ground.”

MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons – who represents Casimero – said he prefers he takes on Donaire first.

Nonoy Neri, Casimero’s trainer from Team Pacquiao, believes either Donaire or Inoue would be a tough matchup.