Casimero retains crown in yawner

LOS ANGELES – It wasn’t the way WBO bantamweight champion JohnRiel Casimero wanted his duel with Guillermo Rigondeaux to play out but the Cuban challenger mistook the ring for a ballroom and danced 12 rounds of boring action to the dismay of booing fans at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson City, this county, Saturday night (yesterday morning, Manila time).

Casimero, 31, tried to make a fight of it and even stuck out his chin while lowering his arms to goad Rigondeaux to fire. No dice. After Rigondeaux felt Casimero’s power in a skirmish along the ropes and appeared to be floored in the first round, he figured discretion was the better part of valor. Referee Jerry Cantu ruled Rigondeaux’ fall a slip although MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons, watching at ringside, insisted it was a clear knockdown. Casimero said he landed a right half hook-half uppercut that grazed Rigondeaux’ head and the Cuban went down. Rigondeaux claimed he lost his footing and Cantu agreed.

Gibbons said that first round bomb convinced Rigondeaux to stay away from harm’s way riding an imaginary bicycle the rest of the bout. Rigondeaux connected only 44 of 221 punches thrown compared to Casimero’s 47 of 297. Casimero unleashed 41 power shots, including 21 to the body while Rigondeaux managed only 28. Rigondeaux swayed, waltzed and backtracked with Casimero in hot pursuit for the most part. The Cuban showed too much respect for Casimero and turned the contest into a dancing exhibition. Someone called it a marathon. Whatever the sport Rigondeaux had in mind, it wasn’t boxing.

“In my 35 years in the fight game, I’ve never seen anything so embarrassing,” said Gibbons. “The guy didn’t come to fight. I’m sure his trainer (Ronnie Shields) didn’t plan it that way. But that’s how Rigondeaux is.” Casimero said he was out for a knockout and chased the dream from start to finish. He repeatedly told Rigondeaux to stand up like a man and fight. The Cuban wouldn’t oblige. “I was surprised, he kept running, no punching,” he said. Gibbons blamed Cantu for allowing the yawner. “The referee did a poor job,” he said. “He should’ve at least warned Rigondeaux to engage and if he refused, deduct a point. That was a disgrace and unfair to the fans who paid good money to watch an action fight.”

Casimero wound up retaining his crown by a split decision. Judge Robert Hoyle had it 117-111 and judge Daniel Sandoval 116-112, both for Casimero. Judge Tim Cheatham cast the dissenting vote, 115-113 for Rigondeaux. Hoyle scored the last five rounds for the Filipino and Sandoval, seven of the last eight. Casimero said he caught whatever blows Rigondeaux threw on his arms and finished without a mark on his face. If Rigondeaux thought Casimero would run out of gas chasing him around the ring, he was wrong. Although he struggled to make weight the day before, Casimero was pumped up to the last bell. Gibbons said since Casimero hardly raised a sweat, he’d be ready to face Nonito Donaire Jr. the next day. Casimero said now that Rigondeaux is out of the picture, he’s going after Donaire, who holds the WBC strap and IBF/WBA “super” titlist Naoya Inoue.