Casimero annihilates Nery to bag 4th-round TKO win

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

A one-year layoff isn’t a problem for John Riel Casimero, and it’s safe to say that Quadro Alas is indeed back.

On June 6, 2026, Casimero finally ended a yearlong hiatus, returning to the boxing world in style after destroying Luis Nery of Mexico in four rounds via technical knockout (TKO) at the Aichi Expo in Tokoname, Aichi, Japan.

It was December 2025 when Casimero last laced up his gloves and experienced full hand taping in preparation for a professional fight.

Despite low expectations from the boxing world, the former three-division world champion went on to do what he does best.

KNOCK OUT OPPONENTS

Casimero showed why he is still one of the top dogs in the featherweight division by displaying his signature raw punching power and his ability to remain consistent in throwing high-volume, hard punches.

The opening bell was a feel-out phase for both boxers as Casimero measured his preferred striking distance to throw his hooks while Nery backpedaled out of trouble after connecting with a single jab.

All hell broke loose in the second round after Casimero overwhelmed Nery with three knockdowns, nearly ending the fight with a devastating left hook in the final 15 seconds of the frame.

Fortunately, Nery got back to his feet and circled the canvas while waiting for the bell to ring.

Just when Nery thought he could avoid another danger zone, Casimero smelled blood, pouncing on the Mexican veteran with a barrage of jab-hook 1–2 combinations that put him down once again in the third round.

Casimero then sealed his comeback win with a vicious left hook that landed perfectly on Nery’s head.

At the 2:18 mark of the round, the referee waved off the fight, declaring Casimero the winner via a fourth-round TKO.

Of course, a Casimero win wouldn’t be complete without any callouts, and the target was Naoya Inoue, the current undisputed super bantamamweight world champion.

“Now you know why Inoue is scared of me,” Casimero said after the win.