Filipino boxer and former three-division world champion John Riel “Quadro Alas” Casimero made a triumphant return to the ring with a first-round technical knockout victory over American Saul Sanchez in Yokohama, Japan.
Casimero’s win ended a one-year hiatus from the sport, quelling doubts about his health and readiness after the lengthy break.
His last fight was in October 2023, where he faced criticism for being overweight during the official weigh-in, forcing him to cut weight before the 10-round bout.
Casimero ended the fight swiftly with a powerful left hook in the first round, stopping Sanchez’s early aggression.
Despite Sanchez landing some strong punches, Casimero’s solid left hook caused significant damage, leading to a quick stoppage.
As Sanchez bled from his injury, Casimero relentlessly followed up with a barrage of punches.
Sanchez attempted to retaliate but struggled against Casimero’s relentless attacks, forcing the referee to halt the fight at 2:41 mark in the first round.
Casimero’s victory marks a strong comeback after his previous fight against Yukinori Oguni in October 2023, which ended in a draw and caused him to lose his WBO Global super bantamweight title due to inactivity.
With this win, Casimero improved his record to 34-4-1, with 23 knockouts, while Sanchez, a former world title challenger, dropped to 21-4, suffering his first loss since 2021.