Casimero gets shot at Calderon’s world crown

After winning the World Boxing Organization’s interim light-flyweight crown, Cebuano Johnriel Casimero can graduate into a full-fledged 108-lb champion as he gets a title crack against WBO light-fly boss Ivan Calderon of Puerto Rico. The respective promoters of Casimero (Sampson Boxing LLC) and Calderon (PR Best Boxing) have reached an agreement for a title showdown, FightNews.Com reported Tuesday.

A battle of two unbeaten fighters from two nations that are fast creating a heated boxing rivalry, Casimero-Calderon is being eyed for a late May slate at the champ’s turf in Puerto Rico, according to the boxing site. The 20-year-old Casimero broke into the consciousness of boxing fans last December when he pulled off a major upset over Colombian Cesar Canchila, a former World Boxing Association interim light-flyweight champion himself, in Nicaragua. Casimero dropped Canchila five times en route to an 11th-round TKO stunner that netted him the WBO interim belt. The Ormoc-born, Mandaue-based fighter (14-0, 8 KOs) has publicly expressed his desire to take on Calderon (33-0), the scourge of another Filipino warrior, current WBC kingpin Rodel Mayol. Calderon twice frustrated Mayol’s bid for the WBO strap, escaping with a split technical draw after six rounds in June 2009 and coming away with a split technical decision after seven rounds two months later. Mayol, though, went on to beat Mexican Edgar Sosa and wrest the WBC version of the crown after the Calderon gig and retained it over the weekend following his three-round technical draw with Mexican Omar Niño Romero in Mexico. Casimero vs Calderon continues the Philippines vs Puerto Rico boxing rivalry that reached great heights when Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto duked it out last November. – GMANews.TV