Rene Santiago has reached the point where he views Tokyo as his boxing home away from home.
Still, that can never fully replace his roots.
One of four current unified titlists from Puerto Rico, Santiago, 15-4 (9 KOs), wrapped up his training camp with a spirited open workout in Guaynabo. It was his final session before he and his team departed from San Juan to Tokyo, where Santiago will risk his WBA and WBO 108lbs titles versus former WBO 105lbs belt holder Masataka Taniguchi on April 3 at Korakuen Hall.
“This is the best camp I’ve had,” said Santiago while addressing the media on hand at Félix Pagán Pintor Gym. “I’m locked in and ready to represent Puerto Rico at the highest level.”
Santiago will be fighting in Tokyo for the third straight time. His previous two trips resulted in back-to-back title wins in his Fighter of the Year-worthy 2025 campaign.
The career resurrection for Santiago, a 33-year-old from Humacao, began with an upset victory over Shokichi Iwata to earn the WBO 108lbs belt last March 13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena.
Iwata was heavily favored, but Santiago’s relentless work rate was more than enough to sway all three judges. Santiago returned to the famed Kokugikan for an encore performance, his WBA title-lifting effort over unbeaten Kyosuke Takami. Their December 17 unification bout saw Santiago prevail via split decision to extend his current three-fight win streak.
Furthermore, he is part of a revitalization of elite-level boxing in Puerto Rico. “El Chulo” is joined by Amanda Serrano, Oscar Collazo and Xander Zayas as current unified champions.
The hope was that he would have the opportunity to add a third belt to his collection, though such plans are tabled until at least later this year. For now, Santiago will take on the dangerous challenge of Taniguchi, a 32-year-old southpaw from Tokyo who previously held the WBO 105lbs title.
No stone was left unturned in this camp, even if the fight is “just” a title defense rather than the chance to pick up a third chip.
“Rene Santiago is coming into this fight in peak condition,” Felix “Tutico” Zabala, Santiago’s promoter, told BoxingScene. “He’s a true champion, and on April 3, the world will see why he holds both the WBO and WBA titles.”
There is the chance that Santiago could return to Japan for a fourth straight time with a win next Friday. Next in line could be a showdown with fast-rising contender Daiya Kira, the WBA’s top-rated contender.
“Fighting in Tokyo is a huge opportunity,” Santiago said of his latest trip abroad. “I’m going to make the most of it on April 3.”
