Pinoy fighter defends WBO title vs Mexican

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino fighter Johnriel Casimero defends his WBO interim light flyweight crown against Mexican pug Ramon Garcia Hirales in a 12-round boxing spectacle dubbed as Laban Ng Lahi today.

Dubbed “Quadro Alas”, the 20-year-old Casimero, a native of Ormoc, Leyte, won the WBO interim light flyweight title last December in Managua, Nicaragua over Cesar Canchila of Columbia with an 11th round knockout.

Casimero now holds a 14-0, win-loss card with eight knockouts. With youth on his side, it will be interesting to see how Casimero will fare against his much older challenger, the current WBC Intercontinental light flyweight champ.

A southpaw native of La Paz, Mexico, Hirales has held the WBC intercontinental crown since 2009 and just came off a successful title defense last February.

He carries a 12-1-1, win-loss-draw tally with eight knockouts.

Laban Ng Lahi will be aired via satellite on GMA Network starting at 3 p.m.

In addition, GMA Network’s Radio Group - Super Radyo DZBB, Brgy. LS-FM and RGMA - has teamed-up so that radio listeners can also follow the fight via a live blow-by-blow account over DZBB, LS-FM, and through all Super Radyo, Campus Radio and RGMA stations nationwide. Laban Ng Lahi will also be aired on GMA’s sister station, QTV at 10:30pm.