Manny Pacquiao, second chances and new boxing brain Paul Butler looks for upset win in world title shot

Three-weight world champion John Riel Casimero has stopped six of his last seven opponents, but Paul Butler has said he is not facing the next Manny Pacquiao on Saturday.

WBO world bantamweight champion Casimero (31-4, 21 KOs) is from the Philippines like ring legend Pacquiao, who announced his retirement earlier this year after winning world titles in a record eight weight classes.

Pacquiao’s promotional company has even recently promoted Casimero, who is ranked No. 3 at 118 pounds by ESPN after he became a three-division world champion when he knocked out Zolani Tete in three rounds in November, 2019.

But the 32-year-old, from Ormoc City, was involved in a snoozer of a second title defence against a 40-year-old Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux in his last bout in August. Casimero won by split decision against former champion Rigondeaux, now 41, and Butler is far from feeling overawed by the task in front of him at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

“I wouldn’t go as far as saying Casimero is the next Manny Pacquiao or anything, but he hits hard and I know I’m up against it, I’ve got to be at my best to beat him,” Butler told ESPN.

“He’s a world champion so he’s a good kid, but I believe everything has gone right for me in training and if I get the game plan right on the night, I can do it.

“I’ve known about this fight for a while and I’ve had a great training camp. I signed with MTK and if I hadn’t I might not have been boxing until now. I got 10 rounds under my belt in June and that was really important.

“I’m not going to read too much into the Rigo fight… Rigo frustrated him at times by probably not doing anything.”

Butler…