JOHNRIEL Casimero gets another tab at glory when he faces Ricardo Espinoza Franco for the interim World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title in Carson, California on Sunday (Manila time).
The former two-division world champion didn’t have problem making weight after tipping in at 116.8 lbs Saturday. It will be Casimero’s second fight as a bantamweight since moving up from super-flyweight at the start of the year.
Franco meanwhile, came in at 117.8 lbs.
The 12-round fight is in the undercard of the Danny Garcia-Adrian Granados welterweight match.
The 29-year-old Casimero (26-4, 17 KOs) lost to compatriot Jonas Sultan in a 12-round unanimous decision during a title eliminator bout for the right to face International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas.
Following the 2017 loss to Sultan, Casimero decided to move up in weight and won his first bout at 118 lbs early this year with a sixth round stoppage of Kenya Yamashita.
Casimero previously held the IBF flyweight and junior flyweight titles.
Espinoza, 21, holds a record of 23-2, with 20 KOs, including a 10-fight knockout streak.
The young Mexican hasn’t lost since suffering a split decision against compatriot Christian Nieto Ayala in 2017.
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