The vacant WBO Intercontinental junior middleweight title additionally went house with Baraou (18-2, 9 KOs) following the principle occasion of ProBox TV’s second Championship Sequence broadcast.
There have been remoted stretches wherein Santillan’s cleaner boxing troubled Baraou. His hassle was sustaining it. Each time the southpaw started constructing one thing, he handed management again by changing into hesitant and permitting the stronger man to stroll him towards the ropes.
Strain and exercise carried the primary two rounds for Baraou. Santillan discovered his vary through the third, solely to get caught by a pointy counter proper hand when Baraou refused to let him dictate the motion.
The fourth belonged to Baraou’s regular strain. Santillan lastly gave the native crowd one thing to have a good time within the fifth when he trapped the German in opposition to the ropes and attacked with each palms.
As an alternative of constructing from there, Santillan went quiet within the sixth. Baraou began the exchanges, completed them, and bodily pushed him across the ring. That sample informed the story of the battle.
One other first rate spell got here from Santillan within the seventh earlier than he boxed significantly effectively within the eighth, making Baraou chase and main him into counters. Then got here one other pricey disappearance. Santillan took almost the entire ninth spherical off whereas Baraou taunted him and invited him to battle.
That was a wierd response from somebody competing in his house space with a precious regional belt on the road.
Closing the tenth in management, Baraou walked Santillan down and battered him with prolonged mixtures. The previous WBA champion appeared just like the fighter who needed the consequence extra. Santillan appeared like a boxer hoping a couple of polished sequences would erase the lengthy stretches wherein he was being bullied.
“I’m assured in every single place I am going, you realize? Like if there’s a hoop, I’m gonna make it work, and get the win,” Baraou stated afterward.
“That is my highway again to a world championship, and I’m prepared for all of the alternatives I can get. Right this moment was the fitting first step on the way in which again to turn into champion once more. One yr from now, you’re gonna be calling me a a number of world champion.”
The win was Baraou’s first look since dropping a cut up resolution to Xander Zayas of their WBA-WBO unification battle in January. Santillan’s three-fight successful streak ended, leaving him with one other painful loss after Brian Norman Jr. stopped him in Might 2024. Santillan-Baraou was offered in affiliation with Prime Rank.
Luis Alberto Lopez Kilos Daniel Lugo
Former IBF featherweight champion Luis Alberto “Venado” Lopez made a violent entrance into the junior light-weight division by stopping Daniel Lugo at 1:18 of the third spherical.
A heavy left hook from Lopez (33-3, 20 KOs) harm Lugo late within the second. A low blow interrupted his try to complete, however Lugo acquired solely a short reprieve. Roughly 30 seconds after the restart, Lopez dropped him with a authorized left hook to the liver.
The beating continued within the third. Lopez pinned Lugo (28-5-1, 19 KOs) in opposition to the ropes and unloaded downstairs and upstairs till referee Ray Corona stepped between them.
Solely 4 rounds of motion had saved Lopez busy since Angelo Leo knocked him out and took his IBF featherweight title in August 2024. There was little proof of rust in opposition to Lugo, though this was precisely the kind of opponent Lopez was purported to crush.
“I used to be very anxious to return to the ring,” Lopez stated. “I used to be making an attempt to get a world champion to face me on this battle. Sadly, none of them had been accessible. However, hey, I’m comfortable to be performing right here tonight.
“I need to thank all my followers. I do know it’s not straightforward to cross the border. It’s getting very troublesome, however I promise you, I will probably be champion as soon as once more.”
In one other 10-round junior light-weight bout, Dominic Valle defeated Francois Scarboro Jr. by unanimous resolution after a tough, back-and-forth battle.
