Diaz vs. Pacquiao a dream match in lightweight division, says Santillan

By Alex P. Vidal / PNS
April 30, 2008

ILOILO CITY, Philippines  –  Former Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) welterweight champion Rev "Gentle Giant" Santillan said the Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz showdown for Diaz's World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight belt "is a dream match in the lightweight division."

"They are saying that Pacquiao will find it hard to deal with a natural lightweight, but I tell you that this fight is a dream match in the lightweight division because both fighters will slug it out in a non-stop action," Santillan said in Hiligaynon dialect during the recent baptism of his four-month old daughter, Reanne, in Jaro, Iloilo City.

Santillan, who was deposed as OPBF 147-lb king by Motaki Sasaki via 6th round technical knockout (TKO) in Tokyo last February 16, described Diaz as a "receiver" who will not run away from his Filipino challenger.

Being the receiver does not mean that Diaz will no longer connect with his own bombs, averred Santillan, who started punching mitts as a lightweight during his checkered amateur days in the 90's.

"This time, one of them will go down," predicted the 30-year-old Santillan (24-4, 17 KOs), who disclosed a plan to resume his sagging career with a 10-round non-title fight in July in Tokyo against a rated Japanese banger before facing Motaki in a rematch sometime in September this year.

Meanwhile, the 5 feet and 11 inches Santillan said retirement is still far from his mind saying he plans to regain the title from Motaki. He was supposed to face junior middleweight terror Julio Caesar Chavez, Jr. in Queretaro, Mexico last April 27 (Philippine time) but was scrapped from the card after a disastrous defeat to unheralded Motaki.

Chavez, Jr., son of the legendary Chavez, Sr., tortured Italian boxer Tobia Guiseppe Loriga, the man who replaced Santillan in the card, en route to a ninth round TKO to preserve his unbeaten record.

Santillan said despite Chavez's reputation, he was unfazed with the 21-year-old Mexican's notoriety.