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WBO bantamweight champion Johnriel Casimero has embraced the possibility of a showdown with two-time Olympic gold medal winner Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Rigondeaux won a vacant title from the World Boxing Association in February, when he beat Venezuelan Liborio Solís by unanimous decision at 118 pounds. He picked up the belt after a long reign in the super bantamweight division, where he won two belts.
For now, Rigondeaux is keeping his body in shape by training on a regular basis.
He views Casimero as the opponent of choice in the new year – with the hope of a date being finalized for March or April.
“[Casimero is] the one I want. It’s the perfect one for my desire to unify titles. I have the World Boxing Association and he owns the World Boxing Organization. So I have to go over him to take his title and keep adding wins over champions,” Rigondeaux told George Ebro.
“He’s a veteran and I respect him as a champion, but I have [respect] for everyone and I know how to adapt to the opponent, whoever it is, when the bell rings. I’ve fought in several divisions and I’ve been in this sport for a long time.”
Casimero would love to get that fight together – and he sent a message to Rigondeaux.
“Let’s go, bro! No running! Just destroying each other’s face,” Casimero said.
Rigondeaux’s stature in the sport first began in 2013, when he defeated another Filipino fighter, four-division world champion Nonito Donaire.
The Cuban boxer, who now is 40-years-old, has won three in a row since suffering his first and only defeat, when he moved up by two weight classes to challenge Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2017.
Casimero was scheduled to face IBF/WBA ‘super’ champion Naoya Inoue in April of this year. The fight was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.