By Ian S Palmer
Welterweight prospect Alexis Rocha of Santa Ana, California returns to the ring this Saturday, October 21st, when he faces unbeaten Giovani Santillan of San Diego, California with Rocha’s NBO NABO Welterweight Title on the line. The 12-rounder from Inglewood, California can be seen live in most nations on DAZN. Rocha last fought in May when he stopped Anthony Young in the fifth round. Santillan last stepped into the ring in July when he beat Erick Bone via a 10-round unanimous nod.
The 26-year-old Rocha is a southpaw who enters the ring with a record of 23-1 with 15 Ko’s and has 134 rounds of pro experience under his belt since making his debut in 2016. As an amateur, Rocha became the youngest boxer to win a gold medal at the 2012 Junior Olympics when he was just 14 years old and was a six-time amateur national champion.
Rocha stands 5-feet-10-inches tall with a 70-inch reach and carries pretty good power in his fists as 65.2 per cent of his wins have come by stoppage and has halted five of his past seven opponents. Rocha’s lone pro defeat came at the hands of Rashidi Ellis by way of 12-round unanimous decision in October, 2020 in a shot at the vacant WBC International Welterweight Title.
Rocha captured the vacant WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Crown in March, 2018 with a first-round stoppage of Miguel Perez and successfully defended it against Shoki Sakai, Berlin Abreu, Roberto Valenzuela Jr and Brad Soloman while stopping Abreu in the eighth round and Valenzuela after five. He then won the vacant WBO NABO Welterweight Belt last July with a 10-round unanimous decision over Luis Alberto Veron and defended it against Jesus Campos, George Ashie and Young and also had a ninth-round stoppage win over Blair Cobbs earlier in his career.
As for Santillan, he’s 31 years old, also a southpaw and climbs through the ropes with a perfect mark of 31-0 with 16 Ko’s. He’s boxed 160 rounds since turning pro back in 2012 following an amateur career which saw him reach the 2005 National Silver Gloves Final as a youngster. Santillan stands 5-feet-8-inches tall with a 68.5-inch reach which sees him give up two inches in height to Rocha as well as 1.5-inches in reach.
As far as power is concerned, Santillan has average power as his current knockout ratio comes in at 51.6 [er cent and has gone the distance in five of his last six fights. Santillan won the vacant NABF Junior Super Lightweight Title in 2014 and the WBO NABO Welterweight in 2017. His biggest wins have been over Luis Solis, Jose de Jesus Macias, Miguel Angel Mendoza, Sammy Valentin, Dodzi Kemeh, Alejandro Barboza, Antonio DeMarco, Julio Luna Avila and Erick Bone.
Prediction…
Big things have been expected of Rocha and while he’s just 26 years old he has to beat the likes of 31 -year-old Giovani Santillan and step up the class of opposition soon if hopes to get a title shot. He’s got the edge over Santillan in age and power but the undefeated Santillan has enough skill and power to give him trouble and there’s a reason he’s currently 31-0. This is a good test for Rocha and he should be able to pass it but it won’t be easy.
