John Riel Casimero’s much-anticipated bout against fellow bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue will not take place in the foreseeable future.
Not wanting to wait, the WBO World Bantamweight Champion puts his title on the line against Duke Micah on September 26, in a bout held at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
This is Casimero’s first title defense since becoming the undisputed champion back on November 30 against Zolani Tete.
Casimero, who holds a 29-4 record with 20 KOs, was supposed to face Inoue to unify the bantamweight belts. But the match has been repeatedly delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We’re not going to sit around and wait for it anymore. We’re the WBO world champion. We don’t wait for anybody. We did, but those days are over. We control our own destiny. If that fight presents itself again, it will be reviewed,” MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons told ESPN.com.
Moreover, the two camps could not agree to terms over the purse split.
“Because we lost a seven-figure gate,” said Top Rank vice president of operations Carl Moretti.
Micah, who hails from Ghana and is 28 years old, is unbeaten in his career. He has won 24 straight bouts — 19 of which came by way of knockout.
Just like Casimero, he last fought late last year, beating Janiel Rivera by unanimous decision.
