John Riel Casimero will get to hold on to the WBO bantamweight title through the holidays.

In a five-page decision, the Puerto Rico-based sanctioning body ruled Thursday that Casimero will not be stripped of his belt after failing to show up for the weigh-in for his mandatory challenge against Paul Butler, which was scheduled for December 11 in Dubai. 

Casimero (31-4, 21 knockouts) of Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines had been hospitalized on December 9, the day before the weigh-in, due to gastritis, with symptoms including vomiting, stomach pain and dehydration.

Casimero’s team, represented by his attorney Steve Pacitti, provided medical documents corroborating their version of events, leading the WBO to grant their request that Casimero not be stripped of the belt he won with a third round knockout of Zolani Tete in November of 2019.

“There is no controversy as to the cause of Casimero’s physical impediment to engaging in the WBO bantamweight mandatory championship bout against Paul Butler per the medical documents furnished to the WBO. In essence, all the supportive evidence concluded that Casimero’s diagnosis was viral gastritis,” reads the statement.

Casimero still must face the former IBF bantamweight titleholder Butler (33-2, 15 KOs), of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England in a mandatory defense, and has been informed that he will be stripped of the belt if he withdraws from the fight with an injury, or is unable to attend the weigh-in “for any reason whatsoever.” 

The ruling also held to Butler, stating that he would lose his mandatory status for the same infractions.

Probellum, the upstart promotional organization that represents Butler, retains the rights to promote the bout after winning the purse bid as the sole bidder. 

Casimero, 32, is rated no. 2 by The Ring at 118 pounds, behind RING champion Naoya Inoue and WBC titleholder Nonito Donaire, while the 33-year-old Butler is unrated.

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