With an all-Filipino unification bout against Nonito Donaire all but off, John Riel Casimero is back to where it all started.
The WBO World Bantamweight Champion Casimero (30-4, 21KO) is once again scheduled to face 40-year-old Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux (20-1-1, 13KO) on August 14 in Carson, California.
The two were originally pencilled in to face each other before talks of a unification bout with WBC titleholder Donaire (41-6, 27KO) pushed through.
However, the two camps figured in a nasty social media spat last week.
What started as a negotiation for Casimero to enter the WADA drug-testing program ended up being a nasty exchange of words that involved family members of both men.
Donaire backed out of the bout, citing that bullying had no place in fight promotion.
For his part, Donaire is now looking for another unification bout, this time against IBF and WBA titleholder Naoya Inoue (21-0, 18KO) in a rematch of their 2019 classic.
