MANILA – Filipino boxer Johnriel Casimero captured the WBO interim bantamweight belt after a 12th round technical knockout win over Ricardo Espinoza Franco of Mexico on Sunday at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
The victory moved the Ormoc, Leyte native closer to his third world title in as many divisions after previously reining supreme the light flyweight and flyweight division.
Both fighters started slow in the first three rounds until Casimero picked up the pace in the fourth round as he landed some four punch combinations on Franco and pouring in more in the fifth.
Casimero went on to score a knockdown in the sixth round when he landed a right hook on Franco. Both fighters then got tied up several times but it was still the Filipino who is ahead.
Franco tried his best to dominate Casimero but to no avail until the Filipino finally put an end on the match in the 12th round when he again send the Mexican to the canvas with a solid hit.
Prior to his interim championship, the 30-year-old Casimero bagged the IBF light flyweight championship in 2012 before also capturing the IBF flyweight diadem three years ago.
Casimero improved his boxing record to 27-4-0 win-loss-draw, including 18 knockout wins, while the 21-year-old Franco saw his record dropped to 23-3-0, including 20 stoppage wins./PN
