Cataraja, Santisima, Jerusalem knock out opponents in GenSan

KJ Cataraja, Jeo Santisima, Melvin Jerusalem, and Esneth Domingo took the short route to prove their worth as new acquisitions of Sanman Promotions on Thursday, December 17.

The unbeaten Cataraja needed only one round to dispose of veteran John Mark Apolinario in the headliner, improving on the 2nd round KO victories of former world title contenders Santisima and Jerusalem and bright prospect Domingo at the closed-door Sanman Gym in General Santos City.

Santisima halted Marjon Piencenaves, Jerusalem battered Jayson Francisco, while Domingo trounced Gerald Alvarez to complete the former ALA boys’ successful ring return after the sudden closure of the heralded Cebu stable.

Trading body blows with Apolinario from the start, Cataraja, the World Boxing Organization Youth super flyweight titlist, sneaked in a left hook to the body that sent Apolinario to his knees. Clearly hurt, Apolinario took the full count as the 25-year-old Cataraja streaked to his 12th victory with 10 knockouts, 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the fight.

Rebounding from an 11th round beating he absorbed from Mexican WBO super bantamweight champion Emanuel Navarrete on February 22, Santisima knocked down Piencenaves twice with head blows to  prevail in 58 seconds of the 2nd and raise his record to 20-3 with 17 knockouts.

Jerusalem, the World  Boxing Council minimumweight No. 2 challenger, knocked down Francisco in the 1st round then finished him off with a body blow in the next round to climb to 16-2 with 10 knockouts.

Setting the trend, Domingo wobbled Alvarez with a combination ending the first round then sealed his 14th victory against 1 loss with 8 knockouts at the 2:32 mark.

Dubbed “Vengeance,” the fight card was the second offering of Sanman Promotions head JC Manangquil intended to revive local boxing put in limbo by the COVID-19 pandemic. – Rappler.com