Globetrotting Filipino puncher Johnriel Casimero scored a stunning fourth-round knockout of defending champion Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand to capture the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight crown late Wednesday night in Beijing.
Casimero (22-3 with 14 KOs) dropped Ruenroeng (17-1 with five KOs) for the count with a vicious left hook t the body and American referee Tony Weeks reached the count of ten at the 2:10 mark of the fourth.
Ruenroeng had been down moments earlier after taking a hard left hook to the jaw and obviously was still shaken when Casimero caught him as he was trying to cover.
It was sweet revenge for Casimero, who lost a controversial decision to Ruenroeng in their foul-filled match last year.
The victory this catapulted Casimero in the company of light-fly Donnie Nietes and super-bantam Nonito Donaire as the country’s reigning world champions.
The Casimero-Ruenroeng slugfest was the highlight of the week-long IBF convention in the Chinese capital.
Sampson Lewcowicz, who was a part of the promotional team of Manny Pacquiao back in the early days in the US, is the 26-year-old Casimero’s agent and the Uruguayan boxing man is already making some noise.
Lewkowicz says the Leyte-born Casimero should be a perfect match for Nicaraguan pound-for-pound king Roman Gonzalez.
Since turning professional in 2007, Casimero has also fought in Nicaragua, South Africa, Mexico (thrice), Panama,
Argentina and Thailand.