Regie Suganob (left) and Rene Santiago (proper). | PMI and Instagram photographs
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Prime-ranked Boholano gentle flyweight contender, Regie “Filipino Phenom” Suganob, is now in a chief place to problem for the World Boxing Group (WBO) world title after a shocking flip of occasions within the division.
This growth got here after reigning WBO gentle flyweight champion Shokichi Iwata’s resolution to bypass Suganob in favor of a seemingly safer opponent disastrously backfired. Iwata suffered a surprising unanimous resolution loss to Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago on March 13 on the Kokugikan Area in Japan, ending his reign as champion.
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Iwata’s resolution backfires
Iwata’s resolution final January to skip Suganob — the long-time No. 1 contender — in favor of going through Santiago, who was ranked No. 2, raised eyebrows. The gamble, nevertheless, didn’t repay, as Santiago dominated the Japanese champion with scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Suganob had been vocal about his need to face Iwata, particularly after his dominant technical knockout (TKO) victory over Japanese contender Kai Ishizawa in Tagbilaran Metropolis, Bohol and being the highest contender for the title. Regardless of repeated challenges, Iwata selected to go a special route, avoiding Suganob and choosing Santiago as a substitute.
Probabilities of world title shot
With Iwata out of the image, Suganob’s probabilities of touchdown a world title shot have skyrocketed. Because the division’s top-ranked contender, he’s now essentially the most logical option to face Santiago for the world title.
Suganob, who holds a document of 16 wins, 1 loss, and 6 knockouts, is not any stranger to world title fights. In 2023, he challenged then-IBF gentle flyweight champion Sivenathi Nontshinga in South Africa however fell quick through unanimous resolution.
Since that setback, Suganob has bounced again in spectacular style. He captured the WBO International gentle flyweight title with a dominant unanimous resolution win over Venezuelan Ronald Chacon in December 2023 in Bohol. He adopted that up by disposing of Ishizawa through TKO in early 2024 and capped off the 12 months with one other scintillating TKO victory in opposition to Thai Nanthanon Thongchai in Tagbilaran Metropolis.
Santiago, in the meantime, has a formidable resume of his personal. He’s a former WBO Latino gentle flyweight champion, a WBO Interim world gentle flyweight champion, and most not too long ago, the WBO Worldwide gentle flyweight champion.
If a direct shot at Santiago doesn’t materialize instantly, Suganob can also have a possibility to combat for an interim world title in opposition to Thailand’s Thanongsak Simsri, the division’s No. 3 contender.
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