It was a night of contrasting fortunes for Philippine boxing in Japan—one comeback completed, one dream deferred.
Former world champion John Riel Casimero reminded everyone why he belongs in elite conversations, while Kenneth “The Lover Boy” Llover suffered the first defeat of his professional career in a fight he could have won. Both men leave the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname with their next chapters already being written.
Casimero Turns Back the Clock
This win was exactly what Casimero needed—and he delivered it in emphatic fashion.
The pride of Ormoc, Leyte came out of the gates like a man with something to prove, overwhelming former two-division world champion Luis Nery from the opening bell and scoring three knockdowns in the first round alone. It was the kind of performance that silences doubters—explosive, purposeful, and relentless in a way that Casimero, at his best, has always been.
He did not let up. Nery hit the canvas once more in the second round and again in the third. By the fourth, the end was inevitable. Casimero landed a clean left hand to the head, Nery could not continue, and the referee waved it off. The final record reads 36-5-1 with 25 knockouts for Casimero, while Nery drops to 37-3.
The victory was sweeter given the context. This fight had been postponed before finally landing on Saturday’s card—and Casimero made the wait worth it. Nery did not help himself by coming in overweight at Friday’s weigh-in, tipping the scales at 127.2 pounds against the agreed 124-pound catchweight limit. The Japan Boxing Commission imposed a six-month suspension and ordered Nery to forfeit a percentage of his purse to Casimero as part of the penalty—a costly postscript to an already forgettable night for the Mexican.
For Casimero, the statement is clear. He is not done. The comeback bid to reclaim relevance—and possibly a world title—is very much alive, and a performance like this against a fighter of Nery’s calibre is the kind of résumé entry that gets attention from the divisions’ top names and their promotional teams. He made weight. He showed up. And he took Nery apart.
The question now is what comes next. A world title shot would be the natural destination if Casimero maintains this form and stays active. Saturday was a strong argument that he deserves one.
Llover Falls Short But Shows His Class
The defeat stings—but it does not define Kenneth Llover.
Llover suffered the first loss of his professional career, dropping a split decision to Michael Angeletti over 12 rounds in their IBF bantamweight title eliminator. The scorecards read 115-112 and 116-111 for the American, with the third judge seeing it 115-112 for Llover. A fight that close, against an undefeated opponent in the biggest bout of his career, is not a verdict to hang his head over.
He started brilliantly. The Filipino caught Angeletti with a clean shot in the second round that sent the American to the canvas—a knockdown that Angeletti immediately protested, insisting it was a slip. Referee Koji Tanaka ruled it official. The early knockdown gave Llover momentum and he pressed his advantage through the opening rounds, consistently making Angeletti uncomfortable and controlling the pace.
But Angeletti—now 15-0 with 8 knockouts and the mandatory challenger for IBF bantamweight champion Jose Salas Reyes of Mexico—is a seasoned operator. He steadied himself in the championship rounds, leaned on his movement and ring generalship, and outworked Llover down the stretch to take the decision.
Llover falls to 17-1 with 12 knockouts. The perfect record is gone. But what remains is the picture of a fighter who belongs at this level—one who knocked down an undefeated contender in a world title eliminator and pushed him the full 12 rounds in a fight that could have gone either way.
The world stage is not closed to Llover. It was just the wrong night against the right opponent. There will be another opportunity—and when it comes, Saturday’s lessons will matter.
