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New WBC Bantamweight Champ Alexandro Santiago Expects
Keeping The Title Will Be
Even Harder Than His Uphill Climb To Win It
Despite overcoming several pre-fight distractions and
challenges in the weeks and months leading up to his
title-winning victory over legendary four-weight world
champion Nonito Donaire, newly crowned WBC World
Bantamweight Champion Alexandro “Peque” Santiago says the
truly difficult part of his veteran career starts now.
Fighting on the televised undercard of the Errol Spence Jr.
vs. Terence Crawford pay-per-view superfight on Saturday,
July 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Santiago
(28-3-5, 14 KOs), from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico,
notched a unanimous decision victory over “The Filipino
Flash” Donaire by scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112.
The victory was made even more impressive by the fact that
Santiago trained for the fight while also welcoming the
birth of his son less than two months earlier, the fight
being rescheduled from its original date of July 15 last
minute, and his family duplex partially burning down on June
30.
“It was an accident,” explained Santiago. “The top floor of
the house, where my relatives were staying, burned down. I
live with my parents right now and, thankfully, the
firefighters were able to stop the fire before it got to the
first floor.”
Santiago, who has had to endure no less than five
controversial draws in his 10-year career, including one
against then IBF junior bantamweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas
for the title in September 2018, says that nothing thrown
his way was going to affect his second chance at a world
title.
“The fire started close to 1 am in the morning. The next day
I was supposed to go to San Diego to spar, but we had to
cancel so I could help with the recovery of the salvageable
part of the house and to make our part livable again. But, I
was so focused, I didn’t allow myself to be affected because
I wanted to win the title and nothing would stop me. I’ve
always been on the B side and that’s why I am always so
hungry and prepared to the best of my ability no matter what
happens. It makes no difference to me.
The 27-year-old Santiago says he enjoyed a welcoming
reception upon returning home from the victory.
“A lot of my family couldn’t travel to watch the fight, so
it was an amazing reception everybody was on the street
waiting for me. I felt this overwhelming joy they were so
proud of me. I worked so hard most of my life and it’s an
amazing feeling to have achieved this finally.
“But,” continued Santiago, “now that I’ve been able to
achieve my dream and win the title, I will work even harder
to be able to keep it. I always want to be champion. I know
I must work even harder now to make that happen.”
“Alex is one of the most dedicated fighters I’ve ever worked
with,” said his long-time promoter Paco Damian. “He has an
amazing ability to stay focused, no matter what happens. He
gets a bad decision in a fight he won? He works harder. His
house burns down during training camp? He works harder.
Nothing stops Alex from reaching his goals and that’s what
makes him special.”
“He deserves to be champion for all the things he’s
conquered to get here,” added co-promoter Sampson Lewkowicz.
“Imagine training for a world-title fight while your house
is half-burned. That’s why he is where he is and that’s why
he’ll be at the top for a long time to come.”
“My priority right now is to help my dad rebuild the portion
that burned down and stay focused and humble and work hard
to maintain this title, so that in the future, I have enough
to buy a house for my wife and son,” concluded Santiago.
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