Guillermo Rigondeaux threw the verbal jab first.
And true to the hype, Johnriel Casimero punched back. Short straight.
Now, it's up to their handlers and promoters to make the fight between Rigondeaux, the two-time Olympic and two-division world champion, and Casimero, the three-weight world titlist.
The renowned Cuban, a proficient ring tactician, told George Ebro: "[Casimero is] the one I want. It's the perfect one for my desire to unify titles. I have the World Boxing Association and he owns the World Boxing Organization. So I have to go over him to take his title and keep adding wins over champions."
Informed of Rigondeaux's challenge, Casimero responded on Facebook Thursday night, December 24.
"Tara tol! Walang takbuhan! Basagan lang ng mukha (Let's go, bro! No running! Just destroying each other's face)!" Casimero said.
Of course, Casimero won't back down from a fight. Fact is, he's known for pestering the fearsome Naoya Inoue for their scrapped unification showdown last April to push through.
Casimero went as far as hurling insults on the "Monster," dubbing him as a "turtle."
Still, his clamor went unheeded as promoter Bob Arum insists Inoue-Casimero should be held before a live audience and not behind closed doors like Inoue's seventh-round knockout of Australian challenger Jason Moloney in October, and Casimero's third-round stoppage of Duke Micah in September.
Casimero is back in the Philippines, enjoying life in the countryside, when he learned of Rigondeaux's dare.
Once again, it fanned Casimero's desire to tangle with elite fighters and Rigondeaux definitely belongs in the bracket.
Rigondeaux counts among his victims four-division world champion Nonito Donaire in 2013, so the Cuban isn't afraid of power-punchers like Casimero.
After suffering his lone loss to Vasyl Lomachenko in 2017, Casimero rebounded by winning his last 3. At 40, Rigondeaux is still fast and can adjust to any type of opponent.
If ever the fight – which could happen in March or April – pushes through, the Cuban wouldn't dare match Casimero's power. He would try to outbox and frustrate Casimero, just like what he did to Donaire.