By Ronnie Nathanielsz

WBA light flyweight interim champion, undefeated Johnreil Casimero who has a record of 14-0 with 8 knockouts is scheduled to leave for Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles next week to continue training for his first defense of his interim title against tough Mexican Ramon Garcia Hirales who has a record of 12-1-1 with 8 knockouts.

Boxing writer Rene Bonsubre Jr said promoter Sammy Gello-ani who handles Casimero along with international matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz informed him that Casimero will spend at least five days at the Wild Card Gym before leaving for La Paz, Baja California for his title defense set for July 3.

Casimero told Bonsubre that he is aware that the southpaw Hirales is a dangerous opponent. At the same time the 20 year old Casimero disclosed that at present he is eight pounds over the light flyweight limit but that making the weight won’t be a problem.

However, there is still hasn’t been a plausible explanation as to why the title shot of Casimero against undefeated WBO champion Ivan Calderon which was announced by Calderon himself didn’t push through and why Casimero who was originally scheduled to face Hirales on the undercard at New York’s Madison Square Garden was also taken off this Saturday’s fight card.

Gello-ani and Lewkowicz were quoted as initially saying that by first defending his interim title against Hirales and then fighting Calderon, Casimero would make more money. They also stated that should Casimero win over Hirales and Calderon decides to move up in weight then Casimero would be elevated to full champion.

Subsequently it was reported by Casimero’s handlers that the Madison Square Garden fight card had been called off only for us to learn that the fight card headlined by the Calderon-Jesus Iribe title fight is on but that Casimero is not on the card.

Efforts to seek an explanation from the handlers as well as the WBO have so far proved futile.

Casimero who earned the title shot against Calderon after he scored an impressive 11th round  TKO over the highly-touted Cesar Canchila dropping him five times has been training for a couple of months and the postponement of his scheduled fight against Calderon and the choice of a new opponent are not likely to help the promising young Filipino.