Casimero stops foe

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino Johnriel Casimero stopped Mexican Felipe Salguero in the 11th round to retain the IBF junior flyweight title before a delighted crowd at the Makati Coliseum last night.

Casimero unloaded a barrage of head shots that sent Salguero down on his pants and prompted referee Wayne Hedgepeth to halt the fight at the 1:34 of the penultimate round. 

“Malakas din siya, hindi agad nanghina, pero pinagsikapan kong matupad ang pangarap ng kababayan natin na ma-knockout ko siya (He’s strong and durable, too, but I tried my best to give our countrymen a KO),” the 23-year-old champ said in an interview on DZBB.

The Ormoc-born fighter chipped away Salguero’s durability with a steady supply of power shots throughout the bout. He landed crisp blows on the game Mexican who fell to the floor in the eighth and ninth stanzas.