BY NICK GIONGCO
John Riel Casimero scored a third-round KO of South African Zolani Tete Saturday night (early Sunday morning in Manila) to capture the WBO bantamweight title in Birmingham, England.
Tete took the first two rounds but Casimero, fighting for the second time on British soil, sent Tete down with a right to the head.
Although he managed to get up, Tete was obviously shaken and Casimero dropped him again before the referee stepped in as the Filipino went in for the kill.
In winning the WBO 118-lb title, Casimero became the fourth Filipino to win three world titles in as many weight classes after Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire and Donnie Nietes.
Casimero thus joined Pacquiao, Jerwin Ancajas and Pedro Taduran as the Philippines’ reigning world champions.
