Gabriel Santisima and Kiyoto Narukami. | ZIP Sanman photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines — It wasn’t just the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) world minimumweight champion Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem who shone brightly on Sunday evening when he defeated Mexican challenger Luis Castillo in Mandaluyong City.
It was also his younger stablemates, Gabriel Santisima and Japanese fighter Kiyoto Narukami of the Cebu-based ZIP Sanman Boxing Gym, who put on superb performances in the “Blow-by-Blow” fight card.
Santisima, one of the four Santisima siblings from Masbate, defeated Jelo Bacalso via a second-round knockout. As one of the youngest of the Santisima siblings, Gabriel made quick work of Bacalso, knocking him out in the second round.
The win kept Santisima, a super bantamweight prospect, unbeaten with six wins, five knockouts, and one draw.
Meanwhile, Bacalso from Digos City, Davao del Sur, dropped to a 6-6 (win-loss) record with four knockouts and two defeats.
On the other hand, Narukami also remained undefeated with four wins, including one knockout, after defeating Jaybie de Pablo Ignacio via a unanimous decision in a six-round bout.
The 21-year-old Japanese fighter from Osaka earned the nod from all three judges, with scores of 60-54, 60-54, and 59-55, improving his record to 4-0 with one knockout, while Ignacio absorbed his third loss in six fights.