Casimero to fight Lazarte for IBF interim belt

JOHNRIEL Casimero of the Omega Boxing Gym of Cebu will travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina on Feb. 10 to face former International Boxing Federation (IBF) world light flyweight champion Luis Alberto Lazarte for the IBF interim junior flyweight title.

The Argentinian is ranked No. 1 while Casimero is at No. 3.

Promoter Sammy Gello-ani informed CDN that due to the injury suffered by reigning IBF light flyweight champion, Ulises Solis of Mexico, the boxing body has ordered Lazarte and Casimero to vie for the interim crown.

Solis was reported to be involved in a street altercation last year with his countryman, WBC jr.middleweight champion Saul Alvarez, named as the culprit. Solis suffered a broken jaw and a cracked tooth.

The IBF jr.flyweight No. 2 spot is currently vacant while the No. 4 slot is held by another Filipino, Sonny Boy Jaro who could face the winner of the Casimero-Lazarte showdown if Solis remains in hiatus.

The 40-year-old Lazarte (49W-10L-2D, 18 KOs) became world champion by beating Carlos Tamara of Colombia by split decision last May 2010. He beat Nerys Espinoza of Nicaragua by unanimous decision in his first defense and wound up with a draw against Ulises Solis of Mexico three months later. Lazarte lost his title to Solis in a rematch by slit decision last year. He beat Espinoza again in an IBF eliminator last September.

The 21-year-old Casimero’s career was on the upside at the end of 2009 when he won the WBO interim light flyweight title in Nicaragua by stopping Cesar Canchila of Colombia in 11 rounds. But Casimero lost to Mexico’s Ramon Garcia Hirales by split decision the following year.

Casimero was then stopped in South Africa last March 2011 by Moruti Mthalane in five rounds in an attempt to win the IBF flyweight title. Casimero (15W-2L, 9 KOs) returned to the win column last October when he stopped Roemart “TI Yamagata” Sentillas at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.