Since turning pro in 2012, Giovani Santillan has lost one boxing match.
The Mira Mesa native’s 10-round unanimous victory over Angel Beltran Villa last week at Pechanga Arena has him back on track for another possible title shot.
Santillan (34-1, 18 KOs) has won two straight fights since last May, when he fell to WBO World Welterweight title holder Brian Norman Jr. Santillan would like to avenge his one loss.
“Myself and my team talk about a rematch all the time,” Santillan said. “That’s a fight that I would love to get again. He’s a good fighter, he’s strong and he had his night, but I would love another chance.”
Both fighters walked out of the ring with some serious damage after that bout.
Santillan suffered a nasty cut above an eye that left both men swathed in blood. Norman Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs) injured his hand delivering the devastating uppercut that ended the fight. After a 10-month layoff, Norman Jr. defended his title with a win over Derrick Cuevas. He is scheduled to face third-ranked welterweight Jin Sasaki on June 19 in Sasaki’s home nation of Japan.
With a victory over Sasaki, it’s possible that Norman Jr. could land a mega fight with undefeated welterweight king Jaron Ennis or No. 2 ranked Devin Haney.
Santillan may have to be patient as he plots his next fight. He could line up with WBA welterweight title-holder Rolando Romero, who upset Ryan Garcia on May 2.
“I would love a fight with (Romero),” Santillan said. “I’d love that fight. I think it would be exciting for everybody. He’s an exciting fighter. I think, with my style, it would be a treat for everybody. I’m looking for that big fight for sure.”
Legion face crucial game
With three games left in the regular season, the San Diego Legion (7-6) have little margin for error if they hope to qualify for the Major League Rugby playoffs.
The Legion sit third in the Western Conference standings behind Utah (8-4) and Houston (8-4) heading into Saturday’s 6 p.m. game at Seattle.
The top four teams in each conference make the playoffs, but Seattle and RFC Los Angeles are right on San Diego’s heels at 5-1-6. Both teams have four matches remaining.
The Legion will close the regular season May 30 at Miami and June 7 at home against Old Glory D.C.
Saturday’s match will stream live on ESPN+.
Elsewhere
The San Diego Strike Force (3-3) of the Indoor Football League visit the San Antonio Gunslingers (1-5) Saturday at 4:05 p.m.
• The San Diego Rebellion (5-0) of the Women’s National Football Conference close the regular season Saturday night at Denver (1-4). Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. The Rebellion have outscored their 168-9 this season; they can lock up the No. 1 seed for the eight-team WNFC playoffs with a win.
