Quadro Alas Turns Back The Clock
Right then — if you blinked, you missed it, and if you doubted John Riel Casimero, you were dead wrong. Casimero vs Nery was meant to be a competitive crossroads scrap between two old warhorses. Instead it was a mugging. Six knockdowns, four rounds, and the referee finally waving it off at 42 seconds of the fourth at the Aichi Sky Expo. Vintage, violent, brilliant stuff from the Filipino.
Make no mistake, Casimero vs Nery announced that 'Quadro Alas' is not finished. Three knockdowns in the very first round set the tone, one more in the second, another in the third, and by the time the fourth arrived Luis Nery had nothing left to give. When a man with Nery's pedigree gets put down six times, you are not watching a fluke — you are watching levels.
How Casimero vs Nery Unfolded
From the first bell Casimero, 37 years old and 36-5-1 with 25 knockouts, was throwing with bad intentions. He timed Nery's come-forward style perfectly, sitting down on short, spiteful right hands and dropping the Mexican three times in the opening round alone. Nery, a former two-weight world champion at 37-3, is far too good to fold that easily — but fold he did, because Casimero would not let him breathe.
The second and third rounds followed the same brutal script. Another knockdown, then another, Nery's legs betraying him and his corner watching their man take a beating. By the fourth it was a question of mercy more than competition, and referee Nobuto Ikehara did the right thing. Casimero vs Nery is exactly the kind of highlight-reel night that reminds you why this little man was a three-division world champion.
"Inoue Next" — Really?
Then Casimero grabbed the mic and said the magic word: Inoue. He wants Naoya Inoue, the pound-for-pound monster, and you cannot fault his ambition. The two have circled each other for years, the fight forever falling through, and a performance like this gives Casimero the leverage to shout for it again. Whether it is wise is a different question entirely.
My Verdict
I am not sitting on the fence. Casimero vs Nery was a genuine statement, one of the standout knockouts of the year, and on this form Casimero remains a nightmare for anyone at the weight. But Inoue is a different animal — sharper, smarter, and just as heavy-handed. If that fight ever gets made I would still favour The Monster, and comfortably. For one night, though, let the old gunslinger enjoy it. He earned every bit of this.