| |
|
SANTILLAN DEFENDS OPBF TITLE IN TOKYO APR. 20
By Salven L. Lagumbay PhilBoxing.com Tue, 14 Feb 2006
Southpaw Rev "Gentle Giant" Santillan of the Wakee Salud Stable is scheduled to defend his Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation welterweight belt when he takes on undefeated Japanese prospect Hiroshi Yamaguchi on April 20 at the famed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Santillan (22-2-1, 16 KO's), the Iloilo City-raised fighter now fighting out of Cebu, had regained the OPBf title last December 3 by knocking out former tormentor Kazuhiko Hidaka in the eighth round in what was dubbed "OPBF Fight of the Year" by well-respected Japanese boxing guru Joe Koizumi.
Hidaka, in their previous encounter, stopped Santillan in the fourth as the latter defended the title facing personal problems that kept him away from the right mental frame.
For the first time in his career, the 5'11 Santillan will be fighting an opponent who is slightly taller than him, and this may pose problems for the power-punching Santillan, one of RP boxing's class acts in and outside of the ring.
The Tokyo-based Yamaguchi, a right-handed fighter ranked no. 7 by the OPBF, boasts of a 14-0-1 win-loss-draw record with 10 KO's in a pro career that started in 2001. He has been successful fighting against Thai boxers, although it remains to be seen if he has what it takes to bang with heavy-handed fighters like Santillan.
"I have kept myself in good shape. I'm always training in the gym, even if there's no fight. So I will be ready for the fight," Santillan said in a text message to this writer.
END
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Salven L. Lagumbay.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
MARIO BARRIOS LAS VEGAS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES , Tue, 01 Jul 2025CATTERALL AND EUBANK LAY THEIR 'CARDS ON THE TABLE' AHEAD OF MANCHESTER SHOWDOWN , Tue, 01 Jul 2025Dumadag holds chess tourney By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 01 Jul 2025Manny Pacquiao's Case for the Greatest of All Time By Ace Freeman, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025DavNor Adventure Race 2025 set July 2 By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025Gumila rules Antipolo rapid chess tilt By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025FULL CIRCLE AT WILD CARD: Jhay Otamias’ Tribute to a Fighter and a Fanbase By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025Vince Paras Wins by 4th Round KO Over Sarawut Thawornkham to Capture the IBF Pan Pacific Super Flyweight Title , Mon, 30 Jun 2025Team USA's Quest for Gold Set in Stone at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025 , Mon, 30 Jun 2025SBA SEASON 2 DRAFT UNVEILS RISING STARS AND STRATEGIC MOVES AS TEAMS COMPLETE THEIR ROSTERS By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025Filipino Elwin Retanal wins Saudi rapid chess meet By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 30 Jun 2025Jake Paul Earns Boxing Legitimacy with Dominant Decision Over Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025Zurdo Ramirez Defends Cruiserweight Crowns with Unanimous Decision Over Dorticos By Dong Secuya, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025Vince Paras Faces Sarawut Thawornkham Today at Venue 88 in Gensan , Sun, 29 Jun 2025USA Elite High Performance Team Sets Sights on Gold at World Boxing Cup: Astana 2025 , Sun, 29 Jun 2025Alekhine Nouri bags silver in blitz By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 29 Jun 2025Paul vs. Chavez Jr: Can Julio Derail Jake Paul? By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025Dr. KO: Christian Mbilli Stops Maciej Sulecki in 1 , Sat, 28 Jun 2025GOLDEN BOY SIGNS UNDEFEATED MIDDLEWEIGHT BLUE-CHIP PROSPECT AMARI JONES , Sat, 28 Jun 2025Paul vs. Chávez Jr. is a Go: All Fighters Make Weight in Anaheim Ahead of High-Stakes Bout , Sat, 28 Jun 2025IIEE Chessmasters Overall Champion in the International Bundesliga with GM Joey Antonio By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025Kittipong of Thailand Battles Bhavesh of India in Brico Santig's Exciting Show in Bangkok By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025Weights from Philadelphia , Sat, 28 Jun 2025Alekhine Nouri and John Jerish Velarde struck gold and bronze By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025Would OKC Still Win the West If Dallas Had Not Traded Doncic? By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025 |

|
|
|
|
|