Pinoy stages marathon boxing

Filipino promoter Brico Santig did something unprecedented in the boxing world. He recently staged a marathon card featuring 50 fighters from over 20 countries in 25 bouts streamed to 250 countries over the giant DAZN network. It was DAZN’s first Asian undertaking and Santig, who started his career as a boxing promoter in Baguio in 2006, appropriately called it a historic event. The show started at 1 p.m. and ended at 11:30 p.m. at the World Siam Stadium in Bangkok last Aug. 30.

Santig, 49, owns boxing gyms in Benguet, Dubai and Bangkok. His stable is known as Highland Boxing and lists about 30 fighters, including WBO No. 7, WBA No. 10 Jayson Vayson who challenges WBO/WBA minimumweight champion Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico in Indio, California, on Sept. 20. His other top-tier fighters include IBF No. 4/WBC No. 5 superflyweight JayR Raquinel, John Michael Zulueta, Alfredo Daeno, Herlan Gomez, Reymart Soledad, Elmo Traya and Elmar Zamora. One of his stars was former IBO lightflyweight champion Rey Loreto, now retired.

Santig has established a base in Bangkok where he lives with his Thai partner Jidapa and their two children, 14 and eight years old. “First time in history, 10 hours and 30 minutes of boxing,” he said. “Highland and FCC Promotions ang nag-stage in coordination with Dream Boxing. Now, we’re doing two events in a month, one every second Saturday and another every last Saturday of the month. Special thanks to Twins Special, Blegend/SXS, FCC, DAZN, Kristopher Aranda at Naris Singwancha Foundation.”

In the 25-fight card, four Filipinos saw action. Traya stopped Thai Chaiwat Mueanphong in the ninth frame to win the Asian Boxing Federation middleweight crown. Lemuel de Barbo halted Thai Wichai Khamson in the fourth of a superfeatherweight sixer. Leonard Pores knocked out Thai Suriya Kraimanee in the second of a superflyweight sixer. The only Filipino loser was supermiddleweight Rockie Bactol who bowed to Scotland’s Michael Roos on a split six-round decision. Panamanian Carlos Costa, who lives in Cebu and Bangkok, served alternately as supervisor, judge and referee throughout the marathon event which featured 16 undefeated fighters and 160 scheduled rounds. Among the countries represented in the fights were the US, Canada, UK, France, Italy, India, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Kuwait, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.