Paul Butler has been elevated to WBO bantamweight champion after the governing body voted unanimously to strip former title holder John Riel Casimero of his belt.
The WBO executive committee voted in favour of ending Casimero’s title reign due to his failure to defend the belt on two separate occasions against Butler.
“It is a standard practice in the World Boxing Organization (WBO), to grant full faith and credit to all records, rules, regulations, guidelines, and rulings from any duly authorized member boxing commission,” A statement from the WBO read.
“As in this case, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) is a recognized regulatory body in the United Kingdom which oversees professional boxing contests conducted in their jurisdiction. The board rendered a ruling based on their findings and supportive evidence. Therefore, we must presume the correction of their holding even more so when related to a boxer’s safety and physical well-being.
“The Committee unanimously recommended to the WBO Executive Committee to strip John Riel Casimero’s WBO World Bantamweight Championship Title for failure to comply with the conditions set
forth in its “Resolution.’
“The WBO Executive Committee unanimously voted in favor of adopting the WBO Championship Committee’s recommendation and therefore declares the WBO Bantamweight Championship Title Vacant.
“WBO Interim Bantamweight Champion Paul Butler is elevated from Interim Champion to Full Champion Status The WBO World Championship Committee recommends to the WBO Ratings Committee that John Riel
Casimero be rated at the number one (1) position in the WBO Bantamweight Ratings and subject to complying with the applicable rating criteria.”