Jeo Santisima (left) and Toshiki Shimomachi (right). | Boxrec and Facebook Photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former world title challenger Jeo “Santino” Santisima eyes to duplicate his impressive knockout win in Japan last August against another hometown prospect on December 11, 2022, at the EDION Arena in Osaka, Japan.
Santisima will face Toshiki Shimomachi in a 10-rounder non-title bout in the fight card put up by Green Tsuda Promotions.
It can be recalled that Santisima, of the Cebu-based ZIP Sanman Boxing Team, scored a stunning fifth-round technical knockout win against the more-experienced Hiroshige Osawa at the same venue last August 14, 2022.
The bout was part of the fight card put up by Koki Kameda that also featured another Cebu-based boxer, Tomjune Mangubat who fought and lost against Masanori Rikiishi for the OPBF super featherweight title.
It was Santisima’s first fight and first victory in Japan which is considered a tough place for Filipino boxers to pull a victory.
However, the 26-year-old fighter, a former WBO world super bantamweight challenger, shocked everyone when he knocked out Osawa twice in their bout.
That victory improved Santisima’s record to 22 wins with 19 knockouts and four losses. It was also a fitting comeback for him after he lost to American Joet Gonzales via a ninth-round TKO last March in Fresno, California for the WBO International featherweight title.
Meanwhile, his opponent, the 25-year-old Shimomachi has an impressive record of 15 wins with 11 knockouts, one defeat, and a draw.
The Osaka, Japan native will fight Santisima as his second Filipino opponent. He defeated Renan Portes via a six-round unanimous decision in 2018. His lone defeat was in 2016 when he lost to fellow Japanese Yusuke Hiranuma via a split decision.
After that, Shimomachi went on to win 13 of his next 15 bouts, with two ending in draws.
Just last Thursday, Santisima’s stablemate, Esneth Domingo scored a stunning sixth-round technical knockout against Jukiya Iimura at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. /rcg
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