Nonito Donaire vs. John Riel Casimero - August 14, 2021 (OFF)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Al Haymon has spiced things up.

He has had Donaire replace Rigo in the main event.

Rigo will be on the undercard.

What a fight this will be!!

[margaret thatcher]

bombs away, some heavy pinoy hands being launched

[margaret thatcher]

while were talking about unification, rigo is only a secondary titlist anyway, he's kinda a fake part of the puzzle. inoue has the top wba title, winner of this should go straight for him

[gregregegg]

If Innoue gets an easy win today which i expect, id like to see him throw ringo an offer for early September, then the winner of this december. Then for me thats 118 done for a while, can go back once someone has seperated themselves up top and fight them.

Then i hope he moves to 115 for a few fights with some of the top dog big names there. or fights the winner of fulton vs Fig at 122.

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According to Coppinger’s source PBC saw this as a great opportunity to stage a unification match between the two Filipino champions after Donaire scored his latest big win when he beat Nordine Oubaali to win the WBC strap. Rigondeaux, who isn’t injured, willingly stepped aside to allow this fight to take place with him being set up to face the unified winner.

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Inoue: I Can Wait Out Casimero-Donaire And Then Face The Winner

Naoya Inoue never underestimates any of his opponents, though he admits to finding additional inspiration upon scanning the crowd ahead of his most recent performance.

All of the claimants to the major bantamweight titles were in the house this past Saturday at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, where Japan’s Inoue (21-0, 18 KOs) defended his WBA/IBF belts in a third-round knockout of mandatory challenger Michael Dasmarinas. Among those in attendance for the ESPN main event were WBO bantamweight titlist John Riel Casimero (30-4, 21 KOs) and future Hall of Famer and recently crowned WBC champ Nonito Donaire (41-6, 27 KOs).

The rare occasion of all three being in the same room didn’t go unnoticed by the evening’s headliner, who proceeded to deliver a pound-for-pound performance

“It was on my mind,” Inoue admitted to reporters of his intention to impress Donaire and Casimero. “It served as motivation to show to them that I am out here as the best bantamweight in the world."

Saturday’s showing certainly furthered the cause for Inoue, a three-division titlist, 2014 Fighter of the Year and current high-ranking pound-for-pound entrant. Many outlets already have him as the number one-ranked bantamweight in the world, though the position could be challenged by the winner of the recently announced August 14 unification clash between Donaire and Casimero.

Inoue already owns a win over Donaire, outpointing the four-division champ to unify the IBF/WBA titles in their Nov. 2019 war that was hailed by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) as the 2019 Fight of the Year. Casimero entered the bantamweight title picture just three weeks later, scoring a knockout win over Zolani Tete to become a three-division and current WBO bantamweight titlist.

Donaire entered his third bantamweight title reign and seventh overall spanning four divisions following a stunning fourth-round knockout of previously unbeaten WBC bantamweight titlist Nordine Oubaali on May 29 in Carson, California.

The rescheduled mandatory title fight between Oubaali and Donaire was part of a Showtime-announced schedule that included Casimero in a showdown with secondary WBA titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux. Those plans were changed once Donaire regained a bantamweight title, and with both already expressing an interest in facing Inoue later this year. Such a bout would crown the first-ever undisputed bantamweight champion in the three- or four-belt era.

Inoue is all the way on board with such plans, even if it means not getting in another fight in between.

“I can wait out that fight,” insists Inoue, whose last appearance prior to Saturday came in a seventh-round knockout of Australia’s Jason Moloney last October in Las Vegas. “I don’t have a problem waiting until they fight and then face the winner.

“At bantamweight, those two are the only fighters who come to mind.”

[Thomastearns]

"Such a bout would crown the first-ever undisputed bantamweight champion in the three- or four-belt era."

If it's Inoue, no one will be too surprised.

If it's Casimero, it may surprise a few.

If it's Donaire, that would be the stuff of legend.

[JxhDel.]

Quadro Alas has his number against the Living Legend

[maverick23]

The fight’s off.

Donaire has withdrawn himself as Casmiero delayed signing up to VADA and his team were disrespectful to his wife.

It may be back on in a few days but credit to Donaire for having strong morals.

[margaret thatcher]

what did they say to his wifE?

maybe inoue can get the casimero fight again....hope top rank pushes for that

f@ck it man, if this disrespeck leads to inoue-casimero, and then donair-rigo 2 instead, i 'll be happy . gotta get inoue a good fight

[gregregegg]

As much as I like this fight I hope it stays off and inoue fights casimaro Septemberish (go canelo dates, but free espn, but fight in Japan so not on same time as canelo… perfecto).

[margaret thatcher]

As much as I like this fight I hope it stays off and inoue fights casimaro Septemberish (go canelo dates, but free espn, but fight in Japan so not on same time as canelo… perfecto).

[Ruthless-RKO]

Donaire’s statement

“I am known to take stands people are afraid to take. I STAND for VADA 24/7/365 testing for ALL boxers. This should never be refused or delayed. I stand against BULLYING in any form. I STAND against the disrespect and ABUSE of women and children physically, mentally and emotionally. AND I STAND against misogynistic culture.”

“A grown man recently told the mother of my boys to 'snack on his ----,’” Donaire noted, the statement coming a day after the boxer confronted the Casimero team member via Instagram Live. “We cannot ignore this unprofessional behavior. We cannot excuse the disgusting trolling memes created of my wife as 'just for entertainment'. I don't want other pro athletes to cross this line and think this type of behavior is acceptable. We have to maintain a respectable character, especially online, for the future generations to emulate, and not promote ignorance and foul behavior. For the boxing culture to change, promoters and networks should veer away from unacceptable behavior and not encourage it.

“That being said, as we've stated before, we cancelled this fight when they delayed turning in the VADA paperwork for 5 days. We have proof that the opposing side was neither honest nor forthcoming in providing the proper information to begin VADA drug testing. AFTER we cancelled the fight, then and only then did the paperwork suddenly appear.”

—————

The released statement was directed at Casimero (30-4, 21 KOs) and his team, beginning with the days-long pursuit of getting paperwork filed in time for both fighters to submit to random drug testing as contracted through Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA). Donaire’s wife/manager/trainer Rachel called for Casimero’s side to comply with such requests, only for the matter to devolve into an ugly and petty feud with plenty of dirty laundry aired out in public.

Team Donaire determined last Friday that the fight was off following repeated requests to submit to VADA testing. The argument from Team Casimero is that the three-division and reigning WBO bantamweight titlist has been enrolled all along, though referring to the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program which randomly tests a small handful of fighters each month.

Such testing standards are not the same as fighters directly enrolling in VADA, guaranteeing thorough and stringent testing from day one.

VADA ultimately confirmed receipt of Casimero’s paperwork on Saturday. It arrived four days after obtaining everything they needed from Donaire, who was the first U.S.-based fighter to submit to year-round random drug testing at the start of the program nearly ten years ago. Representatives involved in the event through the promotion and TV production were all of the understanding that the fight would move forward in present form.

Donaire (41-6, 27 KOs) and his team feel otherwise, more so after Casimero’s side have taken trash talking and misogyny—largely directed at Rachel Donaire—to another level.

Showtime representatives were not in a position to comment on the development as this goes to publish. Casimero's team is on record insisting that they will be in the ring August 14, whether versus Donaire or whoever else shows up that night.

"The fight is happening," Sean Gibbons, Casimero's promoter and president of Manny Pacquiao's MP Promotions told BS.com. "I guarantee that."

Should the fight indeed fall through, it will mark the second such occurrence for Casimero in just 15 months. The brash Filipino was due to face WBA/IBF bantamweight titlist Naoya Inoue (21-0, 18KOs) in a three-belt unification clash last April 25 live on an ESPN platform from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The highly anticipated fight was canceled due to the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with the two sides unable to come to an agreement to reschedule due to social distancing measures restricting fan access anywhere the fight could have taken place.

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Some will say it’s a drawback to have your spouse as your manager.. but that isn’t the point.

Donaire is as respected as they come.

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