Before John Riel Casimero's round 1 TKO win over Saul Sanchez, the Filipino former world champion missed the cut twice during the official weigh-in in Japan.
John Riel Casimero secured a dominant first-round TKO victory over Saul Sanchez Sunday in Japan, but not without drama leading up to the fight.
Casimero, a former three-division world champion, faced weight troubles during the weigh-in on October 12, first weighing in at 56.3 kilos, which was a kilogram over the limit.
Despite a second attempt two hours later, Casimero was still overweight at 55.9 kilos.
Per Japan Boxing Commission rules and as discussed by both camps, Casimero was given another chance with an additional weigh-in on the morning of the fight day, where he finally cleared the agreed-upon weight of 128 pounds, allowing the non-title bout to proceed.
Casimero wasted no time once the fight began, delivering a powerful performance that overwhelmed Sanchez, stopping him in the first round via TKO.
The win improved Casimero’s record to 34 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw, with 23 of those victories coming by knockout.
This victory also marked a crucial moment in Casimero’s career as he returned to the ring after one year. His las victory came in May 2023 against Fillipus Nghitumbwa.
For Sanchez, who came into the fight with an impressive 21-3 record, this loss represents his fourth defeat, dropping him to 21-4.
This victory for Casimero under Treasure Boxing Promotion in Japan adds another emphatic knockout to his resume, though the weight-cutting difficulties could raise questions about his future preparations.
Casimero has had a difficult history with making weight in his later years. He notably encountered weight issues in his scheduled fight in 2021 with Paul Butler for his WBO bantamweight world title.
The original bout was postponed as Casimero withdrew from the weigh-in citing gastritis.
“Quadro Alas” was later stripped of his WBO world title after he resorted to the use of sauna to make weight in the rescheduled fight with Butler. The use of sauna is against medical guidelines under the British Boxing Board of Control.
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[Editor's note: This article was generated by a member of the One Sports Digital team using AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]