WBO Strips Belt from John Riel Casimero and Names Paul Butler Champion!
The saga of John Riel Casimero (31-4, 21 KOs) and the WBO has finally reached a conclusion. In a letter released on May 3, the WBO sanctioning body committee has decided to strip Casimero of the WBO world bantamweight title. Current WBO Interim bantamweight champion, Paul Butler (34-2, 15 KOs), will be elevated to full-time champion while Casimero will be rated their number one contender.
FOLLOWING THE TIMELINE
It was a unanimous verdict on the part of the committee. The roots of their decision were based on Casimero twice failing to meet then-mandatory challenger Butler. The two were to fight in December 2021 in Dubai. However, Casimero didn’t show up for the pre-fight weigh-in, later claiming he was suffering from viral gastritis.
So, the contest was rescheduled for April 22 in Liverpool, England. But the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) pulled Casimero out of the bout after ruling he violated safety protocols by using a sauna days before the rescheduled match. The BBBofC prohibits fighters from using a sauna prior to a fight as a safety measure. Butler went on to defeat late replacement Jonas Sultan by unanimous decision to capture the Interim belt.
Team Casimero was outraged by the WBO’s ruling. His manager, Egis Klimas, took to social media to voice his displeasure.
But, here are the issues. Since winning the belt in November 2019, Casimero had failed to make a mandatory title defense. Plus, his actions over the last six months have been frustrating and problematic. His failure to arrive at the weigh-in for the first scheduled bout with Butler is unprofessional. While their official reason for bowing was a gastric issue, many pundits believe the illness was the result of using drastic measures to get down to the 118-pound bantamweight limit.
For the rescheduled fight, he did something that simply was against guidelines. Team Casimero argues that using a sauna is a common practice. That may be true. However, rules are rules. If you fail to abide by what a specific commission states in its bylaws, you must suffer the consequences.
AT A CROSSROADS
As a result of this decision, Butler is officially a two-division world champion. With Casimero now rated as his number one contender, it will be interesting to see if Butler will even fight him. After his win over Sultan, the British fighter said he has no respect for the now ex-champ and seemed to *scoff at the notion. His anger is certainly understandable.
The underlying theme here is this: Casimero has issues getting down to the bantamweight limit. It seems as if the writing is on the wall, and he should strongly consider moving up in weight.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
