The result of the 10th round of the professional boxing super bantamweight class held in Incheon, South Korea on December 3, 2022 was changed from an invalid match to a KO. The organizer, Treasure Boxing Promotion, announced on Twitter on December 21.
The Korean Boxing Commission (KBM), which had jurisdiction over the match, invalidated the match between former WBO world bantamweight champion Jonlil Casimero (Philippines, 33) and WBO world super bantamweight 8th place (at that time) Ryo Ako (Yokohama Hikaru, 36). It is said that it was changed to Casimero’s two KO wins.
Ako: “I lost completely. Casimero was strong.”
In the game, Casimero, who was downed in the first inning, made a fierce attack in the second inning. He cornered Ako with powerful punches and advanced to the upper hand. However, in the middle of the second inning, a punch from Casimero hit the back of Ako’s head and the match was temporarily suspended. Even after a break, Ako’s damage did not recover, and the referee decided that the match could not be continued, making it a null match.
Casimero on the ring did not hide his dissatisfaction because the current was about to tilt.
Casimero’s local Filipino media “ABS-CBN” (WEB version) reported that Casimero won three weeks after the controversial match in South Korea.
According to the media, the Game and Amusement Board (GAB), which has jurisdiction over professional boxing in the Philippines, was dissatisfied with the result of Casimero vs. Ako and asked KBM to investigate the fight.
As a result of the investigation, KBM reported to GAB, “Ako stated that the damage he received was not due to the impact of the punch received in the back of the head.” “This result is welcome news for GAB,” the article said.
Ako updated his Twitter account on the 3rd, right after the match, saying, “I lost completely. Casimero was strong. But everyone’s support really gave me strength. Honestly, my punches worked, and I wonder if the back of my head worked. I was in a situation where I didn’t know if the jaw punch was working.”
Casimero, who won KO twice from an invalid match in the first match of the super bantamweight conversion, became the first victory since the match against Guillermo Rigondeaux in August 2009.