Riel Casimero-Rigondeaux Fight Back On For August 14th

In the aftermath of the proposed Nonito Donaire-Jon Riel Casimero August 14th fight falling apart this week over VADA drug testing, Casimero will now go ahead and fight his original opponent, Guillermo Rigondeaux.

First, it looked like a unification bout between the Filipinos, newly re-crowned WBC champ Donaire and the WBO champ Casimero, would be the headliner on Showtime Championship boxing for that August Saturday night.

However, as we wrote earlier this week, the bout fell apart on the insistence of Donaire’s camp that Casimero be part of the VADA world-wide, year long testing system. And, with Donaire’s wife Rachel repeatedly posting on Twitter that they had concerns about transparency with Casimero and him refusing to enter the VADA in the program.

Here’s one example of her firing back late last Friday night at Casimero’s management about not turning in the VADA documentation and adding to the drug testing controversy,

Soooo .. VADA 24/7/365 has still NOT been turned in. Celebrate ur fake victory but @casimerojr u are still NOT VADA.

— Rachel Donaire (@Knockout_Queen) June 26, 2021

So, the 38 year old Donaire will now focus on a possible huge rematch with WBA/IBF Bantamweight champ, Naoya “The Monster” Inoue.

Donaire was in a hotly contested 12 round battle with the Japanese “Monster” for the World Boxing Super Series finale’ in December of 2019. The Monster defeated the veteran by decision in a wild fight were both fighters were hurt and Inoue overcame a fractured eye orbital.

Inoue was victorious in his Top Rank Las Vegas main event two weeks ago with a third round KO of Michael Dasmarinas. And, now it seems that a Donaire rematch with the Monster could be possible for late  this year.

Back to the 32 year old Casimero, (30-4, 21 KOs), he became WBO champ with a third round KO of Zolani Tate in England in November 2019. He successfully defended his belt destroying previously unbeaten Duke Micah by second round KO on Showtime from their fight “bubble” at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut last September.

Drug suspicions aside, Casimero hasn’t tested positive to this point and readies to headline for Showtime.

The 40 year old Rigondeaux is a former Cuban amateur star, who is 20-1 as a pro, but hasn’t had a fight since pre-pandemic February 2020.