John Riel Casimero criticised Guillermo Rigondeaux: "I did my best to knock him out, but he was just running and not fighting."
Sunday 15 August 2021 08:00, UK
John Riel Casimero eked out a narrow victory over Guillermo Rigondeaux to record a career-best result on Saturday night in California.
Casimero successfully defended his WBO bantamweight championship by the narrowest of margins.
The fight started with a bang as Rigondeaux was felled, seemingly by a Casimero left hook, but the referee ruled it was only a slip.
From that moment Rigondeaux took very few risks and remained defensively strong, requiring Casimero to be the aggressor.
The Filipino's body attacks were ultimately rewarded by the judges above the Cuban's attempts to land counter-punches with his left hand (117-111, 116-112, 113-115).
Casimero said afterwards: "Rigondeaux is a good boxer and two-time Olympic gold medallist. I was worried, because he said he wouldn't run, but he ran the whole time.
"My expectations were for a knockout. Me and all my fans wanted that. I did my best to knock him out, but he was just running and not fighting."
Rigondeaux, the two-weight world champion who is now 40, said: "Nobody wants to fight with me because I frustrate them in the ring. I landed the punches that I needed to in order to win the fight tonight. This is how I win.
"I have these God-given skills and this is the way I display them. I'm a unique fighter. It's my style and it's the only one I know. You can see I'm still better than anyone else in the lighter weight classes and I'm going to keep fighting."
Casimero added: "I had a three-fight plan. First was Rigondeaux, and I beat him. Next is Nonito Donaire and then finally Naoya Inoue."
