Jeo Santisima simply didn’t give up
That could best describe his Pinoy Pride 35 performance against Iligan City’s Marco Demicillo last February in Cebu.
Despite having been on the verge of defeat after getting floored by Demicillo’s uppercut in the second round, “Santino” slowly clawed his way back into the fight. He landed a bodyshot in the sixth frame that left Demicillo wincing in pain before waving the white flag to end the fight via TKO.
“Malakas talaga siya tsaka beterano,” Jeo told Tiebreaker Times, “Pero ang akin lang talaga, gusto ko manalo para samin lahat, (yung) pamilya ko. Sila yung inspirasyon ko kaya nagpapasalamat ako na nanalo ako sa laban na ito.”
“Talagang focus lang sa laban at siguradong parehas naman kaming nasasaktan eh. Pag natamaan ko siya, sabi ko sa sarili ko maknoknock-out ko siya kasi parehas kaming nasasaktan dito sa bodega,” Santisima said fighting back tears. “Kaya yun, nagfocus lang ako sa laban ko. Lumaban lang talaga ako.”
”
Hangga’t kaya, lumalaban lang ako kasi hindi ko gusto yung matalo sa ring.”
Having drawn inspiration from his father who was in attendance, Santisima is happy to have come out with the win and continue what his father hadn’t been able to do in the past. A former boxer himself, the elder Santisima pursued the sport in the past, only to return back in Cebu after being underutilized by his then-manager.
“Masaya kasi pangarap niya talaga (mag) boxing. Nung una, nagboxing siya kaya lang hindi na niya nagpatuloy kaso binaboy siya ng coach niya sa Manila kaya samin nalang pinagpatuloy ang pagboboxing niya,” Santisima shared his father’s experience in the past.
“Kaya talagang masaya ako na nakita niya laban namin.”
