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Boxing: Akaho comes clean, admits he lost by KO to Casimero
Boxing: Akaho comes clean, admits he lost by KO to Casimero
ABS-CBN News
Published Dec 21, 2022 06:37 PM PHT
John Riel Casimero. File photo/Michael Owens, Getty Images/AFP
Former world champion John Riel Casimero has received a favorable result three weeks after his controversial fight against Japan's Ryo Akaho in South Korea.
The bout was earlier ruled as "no contest" after Akaho failed to finish the fight following what he claimed as a hit in the back of his head.
But the Japanese boxer admitted in a letter addressed to the Korean Boxing Members Commission (KBM) that he was already hurt even before the errant punch.
"Mr. Akaho said that the damage he received was not due to the impact of the punch hit the back of his head," said John Hwang, KBM chairman, in a letter to the Games and Amusement Board (GAB).
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"He took a break to fight again, but he gave up because he couldn't, and he admitted that it was KO defeat."
Prior to KBM's announcement, GAB wrote an appeal to the Korean commission to look into the Casimero-Akaho bout.
"After its review of the fight and the evidence presented to it, KBM has decided to declare a Casimero win by KO, thereby reaffirming KBM's commitment to sportsmanship and fair play," GAB said in a separate statement.
Casimero was eyeing to redeem himself after being stripped of his WBO bantamweight title due to weight issues. But he was set back again due to the controversial end of the Akaho fight.
"Boxing does not have a video reading applied in other sports such as baseball and soccer, but if the purpose is to aim for clean sports, the results are justified to change. The rules of competition cannot apply every situation accurately case by case because nobody know what will happen in professional boxing," said Hwang.
"Therefore, KBM changes the result of the fight from 'No Contest' to Mr. Casimero's KO win."
The result was a welcome news to GAB.
"The Games and Amusement Board welcomes the decision to change the result... GAB commends KBM chairman John Hwang and his team for their decisive action and stellar leadership," it said.
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