Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Pug wins 1st fight since losing title in Tokyo 10 months ago
After a long hiatus, Rev “Gentle Giant” Santillan is back. The former OPBF welterweight champion proved too much for Japanese figher Shana Kisaragi to win by unanimous decision in their 10-round, non-title fight at the Archaic Hall in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan yesterday.
Santillan, who is now campaigning under the Jr. middleweight class, showed his experience and connected precise straights to get the nod of all three judges after 10 rounds.
The judges scored the bout 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94, all for the Jaro, Iloilo puncher.
It was Santillan’s first fight after he lost his 147lb belt to Japanese Hiroshi Yamaguchi by a controversial split decision on April 20 last year in Tokyo. Yamaguchi, however, lost his belt to the current Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) welterweight champion Taesei Muramoto.
After that loss, Santillan decided to work in a casino in Japan, where he stayed in Tokyo for almost nine months before coming back to Cebu to start his training.
Confidence
The tallest member of the Golden Boys of Cebu boxing that includes Randy “Kumo’ng Bato” Suico and Malcolm “Eagle Eye” Tuñacao, Santillan improved his record to 23-3-1 win-loss-draw, with 16 by knockout. His victim fell 5-4-3, with 2 KOs.
Santillan’s trainer Brix Flores and manager Rex “Wakee” Salud is confident of the 5-foot-11 former national amateur boxing gold medalist’s prospects.
Salud is now working on a mandatory title challenge against Muramoto, whom Santillan defeated in August 2004 by unanimous decision for the OPBF 147lb belt.
Santillan is ranked No.1 challenger to Muramoto, who is due for a mandatory fight in August. (RCM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 13, 2007 issue)
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