VIC SALUDAR FINISHES OFF SANCHAI YOTBOON IN 30 SECONDS (VIDEO)
By Dong Secuya PhilBoxing.com Thu, 02 May 2024
WBO's Leon Panoncillo Jr (L) and Referee Rey Caitom (R) raise the winning hand of Vic Saludar.
Mandaue City -- Former two-time world champion Vic Saludar, aiming to fight for a world title again, finished off his Thai adversary Sanchai Yotboon in 30 seconds to capture the WBO Oriental mini-flyweight title at the Mandaue City Sports Complex Wednesday night, promoted by Championship Boxing Development of the Philippines and ARQ Promotions.
The pre-fight ritual, which included the introduction of VIPs including the host city's mayor Jonas Cortez and WBO Vice-President Leon Panoncillo Jr., as well as the botched singing of the Philippine national anthem and the introduction of the fighters, took a lot longer than the fight itself, which seemed to have been finished before it even started.
A couple of jabs by both fighters, a right and a left upstairs by Saludar to the retreating Yoboon as Saludar followed. A left fake by Saludar, fake-parried by Yotboon, and then, a right bomb to the middle by Saludar that detonated at Yotboon's chin, cutting the Thai like a log who tumbled to the canvas on his back. Yotboon tried to get up to beat the count of Referee Rey Caitom Jr., but the Thai was still out of his senses, clasping on Caitom's thighs as the count reached 10.
Saludar now improves to 25-6-0 with 15 KOs while Yotboon dropped to 14-8-0, 9 KOs.
Saludar, 33, who is rated No.2 by the WBO, No. 6 by the WBA, and No. 13 by the IBF, is hoping to challenge for a world title soonest. He could rematch with the WBO champion Oscar Collazo who beat him by decision in July of 2022, or if an offer comes from Thailand's WBA world champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong or from IBF champion Ginjiro Shigeoka of Japan, he would take it.
"The loss to Collazo was due to us not being well-prepared," Saludar's manager Kenneth Rontal told PhilBoxing. "We had visa problems. We arrived in Los Angeles three days before the fight. The medical, the promotions, and the jet lag, Vic was not able to rest. Even then, Vic performed well against Collazo."
Rontal added that they will try to see if they could get a crack at the Japanese or the Thai champion. "But if it will be a return bout against Collazo, so be it. But we have to make sure we'll be well-prepared this time around."
