Johnriel Casimero and His Team Experience Boxing Riot

Johnriel Casimero: A Humble Filipino Boxer

Fans rioted following a boxing match between Johnreil Casimero and Luis Lazarte in Argentina. A riot broke out this past Friday night, following the conclusion of Johnriel Casimero and Luis Alberto Lazarte’s highly anticipated showdown.

Hubby and I just finished dinner when we saw over the news, State of the Nation by Jessica Soho aired at GMA NewsTV, a certain segment where in our sports icon, and renowned boxer experienced mistreatment and abuse in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Such is highly regarded as inhumane, traumatic and very harsh. So, I went upstairs, ran straight to the computer and wrote a blog right away – having our own ways of helping the ones in the authority to handle this issue and act accordingly. Kakapanginig.

When we saw the video, hubby and I were so dismayed and disappointed on how these individuals, some fans of Luis Lazarte behaved and acted. Being so rude, unruly and destructive, these people only showed how wild, boisterous, offensive and bad-mannered they could be. We were not really generalizing the scenario but seeing the video tormented our hearts. We were in pain when we saw the video.

We believed that such traumatic incident, the riot itself, was considered to be evidences for nastiness, cruelty and brutality – it was very unbecoming to a host country to show such acts to a visitor, respectable sports icon along with his respective team.

Tormenting our hearts, degrading our dignity and demeaning our being Filipinos, this incident should be acted upon accordingly by our government. Hindi natin ito dapat ipagsawalang-bahala. Senator Enrile was so right when he said that we should no longer find time to communicate, interact and transact with people who behave/d and act/ed like that.

Wag palampasin ang ganitong pangyayari. Everybody has to do his or her own share of letting the world know that what his team experienced with those fans were very humiliating and extremely shameful. Shame on those Luis Lazarte's fans! You guys are pathetic!

Our sports icon, Johnriel Casimero as well as his team didn’t deserve this kind of experience and treatment. Literally, you would see chairs flying and being thrown to them. The video was very heart-breaking. Nakakakilabot at nakakapanghina, nakakagigil at nakakainis.

It seems that we would really want to do something but the least thing hubby and I could do was to blog about this. Such was tagged to be a very alarming incident that extreme security should be set and duly extended to the teams so as to prioritize safety and well-being of our heroes.

Indeed, Johnriel Casimero again made us so proud. With humility and kind heart, we salute you. More than your great boxing skills, we admire your meekness and modesty. Kudos, Johnriel Casimero! Cheers! A Filipino indeed. GOD bless you more.

Mommy Mai and Daddy Ren

More inputs:

While the exact starting point of the melee is unclear right now, it appears as though the hometown Buenos Aires fans didn’t take too kindly to the Filipino, Casimero, taking down the Argentinean, Lazarte, in such decisive fashion. They let the folks involved know this much by throwing chairs and a number of items into the ring, before eventually rushing down and joining the action themselves.

Who is Johnriel Casimero? Source: Philboxing.com

Born in Ormoc City, the independent component city of Leyte, Johnriel Casimero was a national amateur boxing champion and a Palarong Pambansa gold medalist. As an amateur boxer, he was a standout not only in local fights, but in the national competition as well.

He toured Eastern Visayas, to include the cities of Tacloban and Maasin, as well as those of other regions, and harvested win after win in an extraordinary display of boxing prowess. During his prime as an amateur boxer, Ormoc City was a boxing power in this part of the country.

Nicknamed, Quadro Alas, he won the Philippine Boxing Federation flyweight title by a unanimous decision win over Rodel Quilaton. He defeated Thai boxer Liempetch Sor Veerapol by a fifth found TKO for the WBO Asia Pacific light flyweight title.

In 2009, Casimero won the vacant interim WBO light flyweight title by 11th round TKO over former champion Cesar Canchila of Colombia in Managua, Nicaragua. Canchila went down in the 8th and twice in the 11th after which the referee finally stopped the fight.

In his first title defense, Casimero lost to Ramon Garcia Hirales of Mexico by a split decision in Sinaloa, Mexico, handing Casimero his first defeat.

Casimero attempted at the world title when he challenged Moruti Mthalane of South Africa for the IBF world flyweight crown. He however suffered his second loss by a 5th round TKO at the hands of the South African.

Casimero’s dream was to battle Iván Calderón of Puerto Rico during his prime. The former Ring and WBO light-flyweight champion previously defeated Filipino boxer Rodel Mayol.

Then came the very chaotic victory over Luis Alberto Lazarte in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Nicknamed, El Mosquito, Lazarte suffered his 11th loss with 49 wins and 18 KO’s. Casimero improved his record to 16-2 (10 KOs). It was a 10th round TKO and the crowd ganged up on the Filipino team of Casimero who won the vacant IBF interim light flyweight tile.

It was a show of savagery on the Argentinean fans who got angered by the defeat of their hometown hero. Bottles and chairs rained from fuming fans. Punches were thrown on our countrymen. Argentina is also notorious in the boxing world being known for hometown decisions favoring their own boxers.

It was victory turned into a nightmare for the Ormoc boxer, now trained at the IPI Gym in Mandaue City. For who would expect such a terrible behavior to happen from an unruly Argentinean crowd.

Chaotic it may had been, a victory deserved a celebration. Even if not at the land where Juan Peron once ruled as dictator, but here in our very own hospitable land. Because it’s more fun to celebrate it here in the Philippines. Kudos to Johnriel Casimero!