John Riel Casimero Vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux: fight prediction, odds, card, start time, how to see

John Riel Casimero was ready to make a huge collision with Nonito Donaire to unite the gallant weights before everything fell apart. Instead of a fight with the Philippine star Donaire, Casimero will enter the ring on Saturday against former world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux. (22:00 ET, Showtime).

Conflicts over drug testing – Donaire’s party suggested that Casimero supported the Anti-Doping Association’s Voluntary Drug Testing Protocols, which Casimero denied – led to Casimero insulting Donaire’s wife. As anger arose, Donair completely abandoned the fight.

Casimero’s consolation was a fight with Rigondeaux at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carsone, California. The loss of Donaire in the fight cost Casimero one of the greatest possible fights, as well as one of the greatest tactical fighters of the modern era. Even at 40, Rigondeaux is a threat to anyone with a cunning and intentional approach, even if it creates less than exciting outings in the ring.

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Casimero is on the verge of a six-fight victory. While his level of opposition doesn’t compare to what Rigondeaux has had in his career, Casimero has proven that his style is capable of complete tactics. That was very visible in November 2019 in Zolani Tete’s third lap TKO, a victory that earned Casimero the third weight loss championship of his career.

“I respect Rigondeaux because he’s a good boxer and twice an Olympian,” Casimero said at a pre-fight press conference. “But I want to show the world that I can be knocked out and that many of my fans want to be knocked out. So I’ll do that … I have a surprise for Rigondeaux on Saturday. Tonight. Maybe it will last three rounds. Don’t run!”

“All these robins talk a lot about retiring, but they have to do it in the ring. Let’s see what you do on Saturday. I’m still here. I’m enjoying this and that right now. It’s warming up. He’ll have to back up on Saturday night,” he said. Rigondeaux at a recent press conference through a translator.

“He has knocked out six boys in a row, but none of them are as good as me. He will face the devil on Saturday.”

In the main co-event, Gary Antonio Russell makes the return lap alongside Emmanuel Rodriguez to gain weight in the WBA weight bantam. Russell, one of four brothers fighting for the same name, has cut all the challenges in his 18-fight career and scored 12 knockouts along the way. Juan Carlos Payano will come to win the stop in December. Rodriguez is a tough knockout, however, with a 19-2 record in his career. He is losing two fights, but is facing a pair of elite fighters.

At the start of the trio’s header, veteran Rau’shee Warren will take on Damien Vazquez. Warren (18-3, 4 KOs) has won four in his last five fights, losing at the title level against Nordine Oubaali on an empty WBC belt in January 2019. He gets a tough opponent in Vazquez (15-2-1, 8 KOs), coming off his first TKO loss of his career against Brandon Figueroa in September 2020.

Below is a full combat card that matches the latest tests on the Caesars Sportsbook.

Casimero vs Rigondeaux card, odds

Forecast

It looked like a Rigondeaux-style puzzle that couldn’t be broken when he fell to Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2017 when he left Rigondeaux in his chair after six rounds. Casimero expects his pressure and output to have similar effects – and he has two-handed strength. Another thing Casimero has, however, are holes that a technician at the Rigondeaux level can take advantage of. There are only two ways to play wrestling. Casimero’s pressure is enough to move him into the empty boxing of Rigondeaux or Casimero, and as he pulls out the Cuban boxes he constantly finds the counters sharp. Selection: Guillermo Rigondeaux via UD