IT’S been a rather slow couple of years for Cebu boxing with the absence of major promotions locally but that might all change on Sunday, when Jeo Santisima takes on the fearsome Emanuel Navarette for the WBO super bantamweight (122 pounds) title in Las Vegas.
The odds are all against Santisima, who took this fight on a few weeks’ notice and who fought guys with unimpressive records of 20-9-1, 6-3-2, 13-10-1 and 16-6 in his last four fights to improve to 19-2. On the other hand, Navarette has knocked out 12 of his last 13 foes and the last four guys he sent to lalaland had a combined record of 88 wins and four losses.
On paper, it seems all Navarette has to do is show up and win the title.
But this is boxing and stranger things have happened and Santisima may not have the odds in his favor but by god he will try and we’ll all be there praying for his upset win. Who knows? Maybe it’s going to be an upset not unlike Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas, which happened 30 years ago in Japan in the same month.
He has likened his stint to that of Manny Pacquiao, who was a relative nobody when he took on Lehonoholo Ledwaba on two weeks’ notice. Pacman gobbled the African champion in six rounds, the first step of his epic rise in becoming the world’s lone eight-division champ.
Now, I don’t think Santisima is Pacman as I think there’s only one Manny Pacquiao but he’s a fighter and these guys don’t give up.
He’s going to get $25,000 for his efforts. That’s about P1.25 million give or take a few hundred thousands on cuts but I think he’s thinking beyond the purse. Becoming a champion in such an emphatic way is sure to kickstart Cebu boxing which last got a big boost when Jhack Tepora won his title in Malaysia.
Donnie Nietes hasn’t had a fight in over a year since he gave up his belt in a quest for bigger fights, a move that in hindsight may not be a good once considering he hasn’t seen action.
So I hope Jeo will be our Neo to the Cebu boxing matrix.
The match is one of the undercards of boxing’s biggest event in recent years—Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury—and a great showing by the Cebu boxer is sure to turn some heads as the who’s who in the boxing world will be there.
So, go get him, Jeo.
Ignite some life into Cebu boxing.