By Benjamin Wickham
CEBU CITY, Philippines, March 28 — Former World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion Johnriel “Quadro Alas” Casimero is set to make a comeback in the ring on May 13 at the Okada Hotel in Manila. He will be facing off against world-rated Namibian Fillipus Nghitumbwa, who holds the WBO Global super bantamweight title. This match is expected to be an intense one, with both fighters having impressive records and reputations to maintain.
Casimero is currently managed by Japan-based Treasure Boxing Promotions, with former world champion Masayuki Ito as his promoter. After a disappointing 2022 where his title defences were cancelled, Casimero made a comeback by defeating veteran Japanese Ryo Akaho via a second-round knockout in South Korea last December. With a record of 32 wins and four losses, Casimero is ranked No. 5 in the WBO, No. 14 in the IBF, and No. 8 in the WBC.
On the other hand, Nghitumbwa, who is just 27 years old, is ranked No. 10 in the WBO super bantamweight division. He has an impressive record of 12-1 (win-loss) with 11 knockouts and has not been defeated since 2017. He earned the WBO Global title in 2021 by defeating fellow Namibian Innocent Mantengu via a sixth-round knockout and successfully defended it twice in 2022 against Said Chino and Sabelo Ngebinyana.
The match between Casimero and Nghitumbwa will be a tough one for both fighters as they aim to maintain their impressive records and rankings. Casimero is currently training in Cebu with Ito watching him closely at the Omega Boxing Gym, while his brother Jason Casimero serves as his trainer. Boxing fans are excited to see what both fighters will bring to the ring and who will come out on top. – Namibia Daily News
