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Santillan’s Mysterious Left Saves Him From Another OPBF Disaster By Alex P. Vidal PhilBoxing.com Sun, 15 Jul 2007  OSAKA – Crowd favorite and defending OPBF welterweight champion Taisei Marumoto was conveniently ahead on all the three judges’ scorecards entering the sixth round of the 12-round championship setto versus challenger Rev “Gentle giant” Santillan on Saturday in Amagasaki when a Santillan lethal left to the jaw sent the Japanese champion down, the ropes protected him from falling out the ring 2:12 gone in the round. As Marumoto struggled to his feet, Australian referee-judge Brad Vocale administered the mandatory count only to halt the proceeding when Marumoto’s feet wobbled like spaghetti sending him to the canvas flat on his back for good. The boisterous crowd turned into eerie silence in disbelief over the sudden reversal of the scene. Minutes earlier, Marumoto (20-8-1, 9 Kos) was peppering the Iloilo-raised customer with combinations and stymieing Santillan with his Hector Camacho-like footwork. The judges had identical ledgers 49-46 in favor of the icon from Green Tsuda Boxing Club. It was Santillan’s wicked left that saved him from another disastrous attempt at bringing home the OPBF bauble. He had previously lost the OPBF crown three times in as many title defenses (to Hiroshi Watanabe by split decision in Nagoya 2003; Kazuhiko Hidaka by 4th round KO in Tokyo in 2005 and on points to Kenjie Yamaguchi who was stopped by Marumoto. Joven Jorda, Santillan’s former teammate when both were still amateurs in Iloilo City in the 90’s who served as Marumoto’s cornerman, acknowledged Santillan’s one-punch KO power. “I have seen that powerful left during our amateur days and I saw it again tonight. We thought we could beat Santillan this time,” sobbed Jorda, who once flattened Manny Pacquiao’ conqueror Medgoen 3-K Battery in Bangkok. Santillan (24-3-1, 17 KOs), would have committed homicide had the fight was allowed to continue, said Vocale who considered the Santillan-Watanabe rematch three years ago as “the best-ever OPBF rumble that I have officiated in my more than one thousand and five hundred assignments as referee and judge.” Santillan received tremendous moral support at ringside from his number one patron in Japan, Toshiaki Kobayashi and Filipina wife Linda and their 20 employees-cum-cheering squad all clad in Blue shirts marked with “Rev Santillan”. Manager Rex (Wakee) Salud said he thought Santillan was ahead on points before the knockout came. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.  |
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