TEPORA WANTS TO FACE SANTISIMA
Aldeguer of ALA Promotions interested in pitting ward Jeo Santisima against Jhack Tepora of Omega
An all-Filipino fight between highly-touted prospects Jeo Santisima and Jhack Tepora is slowly coming into fruition.
Santisima’s promoter Michael Aldeguer, the president of ALA Promotions, has voiced out his desire to make the fight happen and even set a possible date for it.
Aldeguer, however, hasn’t talked with Omega Pro Sports International (OPSI) president Pio Paulo Castillo about the details.
“No, not yet, as we are busy for the Sept. 16 event. We are interested to make the fight happen if the economics allow it,” Aldeguer told SunStar Cebu. “Maybe October. We haven’t thought about it yet as to who will promote. We’ll see how to get it done since not a lot of sponsors and TV are interested yet with a Filipino vs. Filipino, only the boxing purists.”
Recently, there have been a couple of decent all-Filipino fights for ALA-promoted fighters. One was the bout between Jonas Sultan and former world champion Sonny Boy Jaro and the other the fight between one-time world title contender Melvin Jerusalem and Joey Canoy last Saturday night.
“Yes, if it happens, it will have to be in Cebu. Yes, it should be the main event fight,” said Alde- guer.
The 21-year-old Santisima, 14-2 with 12 knockouts, scored an devastating first round knockout on previously unbeaten Goodluck Mrema at IEC Convention Center. Tepora was there to witness the fight.
The 22-year-old Tepora has no problem fighting fighting a fellow Filipino.
“I’m open to that,” said Tepora, the No. 12 ranked super bantamweight in the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Likewise goes with Santisima. “It’s up to them (ALA Promotions) because for me I’m okay with whatever they want for me,” he said.
Though it will be hard to draw the casual boxing fans, an all-Filipino fight should be good for the country’s boxing scene because it will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
“It won’t be a huge impact yet because no one knows them in the Philippines, only in Cebu mostly. The economics will be a concern but hopefully we could get it done,” said Aldeguer. “Yes, it would help Philippine boxing in general in developing young prospects in the early stages of their careers. But on the world championship level not yet because our country needs more world champions.”