With Iwata out, Suganob eyes Santiago, new world champ

By: Glendale G. Rosal - 2 days ago

Regie Suganob (left) and Rene Santiago (right). | PMI and Instagram photos

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Top-ranked Boholano light flyweight contender, Regie “Filipino Phenom” Suganob, is now in a prime position to challenge for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) world title after a surprising turn of events in the division.

This development came after reigning WBO light flyweight champion Shokichi Iwata’s decision to bypass Suganob in favor of a seemingly safer opponent disastrously backfired. Iwata suffered a shocking unanimous decision loss to Puerto Rico’s Rene Santiago on March 13 at the Kokugikan Arena in Japan, ending his reign as champion.

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Iwata’s decision backfires

Iwata’s decision last January to skip Suganob — the long-time No. 1 contender — in favor of facing Santiago, who was ranked No. 2, raised eyebrows. The gamble, however, did not pay off, as Santiago dominated the Japanese champion with scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Suganob had been vocal about his desire to face Iwata, especially after his dominant technical knockout (TKO) victory over Japanese contender Kai Ishizawa in Tagbilaran City, Bohol and being the top contender for the title. Despite repeated challenges, Iwata chose to go a different route, avoiding Suganob and opting for Santiago instead.

Chances of world title shot

With Iwata out of the picture, Suganob’s chances of landing a world title shot have skyrocketed. As the division’s top-ranked contender, he is now the most logical choice to face Santiago for the world title.

Suganob, who holds a record of 16 wins, 1 loss, and 6 knockouts, is no stranger to world title fights. In 2023, he challenged then-IBF light flyweight champion Sivenathi Nontshinga in South Africa but fell short via unanimous decision.

Since that setback, Suganob has bounced back in impressive fashion. He captured the WBO Global light flyweight title with a dominant unanimous decision win over Venezuelan Ronald Chacon in December 2023 in Bohol. He followed that up by disposing of Ishizawa via TKO in early 2024 and capped off the year with another scintillating TKO victory against Thai Nanthanon Thongchai in Tagbilaran City.

Santiago, meanwhile, has an impressive resume of his own. He is a former WBO Latino light flyweight champion, a WBO Interim world light flyweight champion, and most recently, the WBO International light flyweight champion.

If a direct shot at Santiago does not materialize immediately, Suganob may also have an opportunity to fight for an interim world title against Thailand’s Thanongsak Simsri, the division’s No. 3 contender.