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Philippine world champion John Riel Casimero acknowledged that his triple title fight with Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue remains on his mind.
But the reigning WBO bantamweight champion has vowed that he will not leave behind Duke Micah of Ghana, whom he will face in a closed-door fight in Connecticut on September 26.
“I’m very excited for this fight. If I break up with this guy, I’m ready for another opponent, maybe Inoue,” Casimero said at a press conference broadcast on Fight Hub TV.
Casimero has been training in the US for 6 months and was looking forward to meeting Inoue. But the fight couldn’t go ahead due to travel restrictions, so he had to settle for Micah.
Boxing: first-choice fight is gone, Casimero can’t take a new opponent lightly
It’s still a great fight for Casimero though, as it will be his first on pay-per-view.
“I will put up a good fight, I am working hard in training. I know my opponent is a good fighter, undefeated. But I will do my best to win this fight,” he said.
Micah, an undefeated Ghanaian boxer ranked 11th in the world, said he was happy to have this break.
“This is my dream. This is what I’ve been looking for. This is what I’m fighting for,” Micah said.
“You have to fight the best to be the best. I will return the title to Ghana. “
The fight will air on Showtime.
MP Promotions executive Sean Gibbons acknowledged that Casimero was frustrated about not getting the Inoue fight, but the Micah fight could open up other opportunities for the Filipino.
“A little disappointed, but those fights come and go … He’s looking for all the great bantamweights, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Luis Nery,” Gibbons said.
