DUEL WITH JULIO CAESAR CHAVEZ JR. OFF
Santillan throws away P5 million pay check in losing by knockout
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 18 Feb 2008
The shocking 6th round knockout loss suffered by Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) welterweight champion Rev ?Gentle Giant? Santillan to unheralded Japanese challenger Motoki Sasaki (29-7-1, 19 KOs) in Tokyo last February 16 has dashed to pieces his chance to earn a whooping P200,000 (about P5 million) in his next fight on April 26 in Queretaro, Mexico.
In fact, Santillan?s scheduled 12-round fight against the unbeaten champion Julio Caesar Chavez, Jr. for the World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas light middleweight title has been scrapped following his unexpected defeat, said his manager Rex ?Wakee? Salud.
Well-known Japanese matchmaker Joe Koizumi earlier quoted Salud as saying that ?Rev was slated to meet Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on April 26. He was supposed to take a $200,000 purse. This defeat has blasted his lucrative payday.?
The 30-year-old Santillan (24-4-1, 17 KOs) was stopped by his 32-year old challenger at 2:59 of the sixth round in a 12-round OPBF championship fight held at the Korakuen Hall.
?The sixth and fatal round saw Sasaki, moving to-and-fro, seldom throw punches to be content only to block Santillan?s retaliations. People thought Sasaki was taking a rest because of his too high pace in the previous five rounds,? Koizumi, who is also a matchmaker, narrated in his Fightnews report.
?Sasaki, however, suddenly turned loose with a four-punch combo and his vicious left hook dropped the champ with only twenty seconds remaining. Going all out for a kill, Sasaki pinned him to the corner and floored him again with a barrage of punches, when the referee Shimakawa declared a well-received halt as the Filipino had no power left to go on. It was a really stunning upset.?
Chavez, 22, (35-0, 28 KOs), son of the legendary former WBC lightweight king Julio Caesar, Sr., last defended his WBC crown in February 9 with an 8th round disposal of
Jose Celaya at the Domo De La Feria in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Santillan would have been his first Asian opponent since he turned pro four years ago.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Filipinos De Barbo, Ognayon, Cha and Torres in Action in Brico Santig’s Show in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Sat, 21 Jun 2025‘LA FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 2’: DAVID STEVENS DEFEATS PETR KHAMUKOV BY 10-ROUND UNANIMOUS DECISION
Sat, 21 Jun 2025Era and Nantapech Ready to Clash for WBF Asia in Thailand; Filipinos in the Undercard
By Carlos Costa, Sat, 21 Jun 2025Team USA Youth High Performance Steamrolls into Junior Olympics and Summer Festival Semis
Sat, 21 Jun 2025Weigh-In Results: Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Kamil Gardzielik
Sat, 21 Jun 2025‘LA FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 2’ 6 P.M PST/9 P.M. EST TONIGHT, LIVE ON DAZN, FEATURING STEVENS VS. KHAMUKOV
Sat, 21 Jun 2025YAFAI VS. RODRIGUEZ WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER
Fri, 20 Jun 2025Thursday’s Action Featured Stellar Showings at the 2025 USA Boxing Junior Olympics and Summer Festival
Fri, 20 Jun 2025Finals Go All the Way to Game 7 as Indiana Bludgeons Oklahoma in Game 6, 108-91
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 20 Jun 2025Araneta Loses on Points in Odd Judging Setup; Still no Japanese World Welterweight Champion
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 20 Jun 2025Espinas, Cao Make Weight, Ready for WBC Asia Battle Saturday in China
By Carlos Costa, Fri, 20 Jun 2025ASAPHIL Taps World-Class Coach to Lead RP Blu Girls to Greater Heights
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 20 Jun 2025YAFAI VS. RODRIGUEZ + UNDERCARD FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Fri, 20 Jun 2025Press Conference Notes: Vito Mielnicki Jr. Set for Homecoming Versus Kamil Gardzielik
Fri, 20 Jun 2025DUARTE VS. SIMS JR. TICKETS GO ON SALE TOMORROW, FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH
Fri, 20 Jun 2025