Bones to work Casimero’s corner

MANILA, Philippines — Former WBA superbantamweight champion Clarence (Bones) Adams will be the chief second in WBO bantamweight titleholder JohnRiel Casimero’s corner when the Ormoc slugger stakes his crown against unbeaten No. 11 contender Duke Micah of Ghana in Connecticut on Sept. 26 and MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons said yesterday they’re perfect for each other.

Casimero has been working out in Adams’ gym in Las Vegas and Gibbons said there’s no way Micah will win. “In your dreams” said Gibbons, reacting to a tweet by @NerdBoxing that Micah will knock Casimero out. Adams will work Casimero’s corner with Stephen Lunas, the champion’s long-time friend who has worked as a cutman for Filipino lightweight contender Mercito Gesta. Lunas’ cousin is former Oriental bantamweight ruler Rolly Lunas.

Gibbons said under Nevada State Athletic Commission rules, a fighter may name only two cornermen because of COVID-19 restrictions. The Commission will provide a cutman as the third cornerman. Lunas will act as Adams’ assistant. Strength and conditioning coach Memo Heredia will not be in Casimero’s corner. Gibbons said Heredia has done a remarkable job putting Casimero in shape from when he trained in Miami last February until now in Las Vegas. “Memo’s job is done at the weigh-in,” said Gibbons.

As for Adams, Gibbons said Casimero has found no difficulty in adapting with his chief trainer Nonoy Neri stuck in Davao. Neri flew to Miami to work with Casimero last March then they relocated to Las Vegas. Neri returned to the Philippines last July when Casimero’s fight against super WBA/IBF bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue couldn’t be confirmed. With Inoue backtracking, Gibbons arranged another fight for Casimero and Micah emerged as the challenger.

“JohnRiel knows how to fight,” said Gibbons. “Bones is good at turning a few things up but Casimero is like the Senator (Manny Pacquiao). Casimero has multiple world titles and won in nearly 10 countries so you’re not going to teach him too much that he already doesn’t know.” For the record, Casimero has won the WBO interim lightflyweight, IBF interim lightflyweight, IBF lightflyweight, IBF flyweight, WBO interim bantamweight and WBO bantamweight titles. He has registered wins in Nicaragua, Argentina, Panama, Mexico, China, England, the US and the Philippines.

Adams, 46, campaigned from 1990 to 2010 and compiled a record of 44-7-4, with 20 KOs. One of his victims was Filipino Isagani (Little Guns) Pumar whom he outpointed in 1995. The man called Bones was only 15 when he turned pro in 1990 and that year, logged nine fights. Adams said the minimum age for a pro was 16 but he cheated on his age. Adams was 18 when he battled IBF bantamweight champion Orlando Canizales in France in 1993 and broke his jaw in the third round but soldiered until the 11th when his father/trainer threw in the towel because the fracture in his face had swelled grotesquely. In 2000, Adams was an 8-1 underdog when he dethroned Nestor Garza for the WBA superbantamweight crown in Las Vegas. In 2015, he served a six-month jail term on a crime he didn’t commit but pleaded guilty on poor legal advice thinking the worst sentence would be a parole and house arrest. Since his release from prison, Adams has straightened out his life and become a trainer of world champions in his own Las Vegas gym called Prince Ranch Boxing. Nonito Donaire has worked with Adams and last year, Pacquiao went to his gym with Freddie Roach in preparing for Keith Thurman.