JOHNRIEL Casimero scored a dramatic 12th-round technical knockout of Ricardo Espinoza to capture the World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim bantamweight title on Sunday in Carson, California.
The Filipino caught the game 21-year-old Espinoza in the final minute of the match for the second knockdown of the fight.
The Mexican did manage to beat the count, but smelling blood, Casimero went for the kill and was all over Espinoza when referee Rudy Barragan stepped in and stopped the bout.
The time was 44 seconds of the final round.
Casimero, who also dropped Espinoza to the canvas in the sixth round, raised his record to 27-4, with 17 KOs.
Zolani Tete is the regular WBO bantamweight champion who will stake his title against World Boxing Association (WBA) counterpart Nonito Donaire in Louisiana next week as part of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) tournament.
Casimero, a former International Boxing Federation light-flyweight and flyweight champion, can become the regular WBO title holder if ever the winner of the Tete-Donaire bout will relinquish the title belt.
Espinoza saw his record fell at 23-3, with 20 KOs as he lost in his first ever attempt at the world championship.
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