BAYAMON, Puerto Rico—Daniel Santos became a world champion for the third time by defeating previously undefeated World Boxing Association super welterweight champion Joachim Alcine in Montreal on Friday night at the beautiful outdoor Uniprix Stadium..
The energetic crowd of nearly 10,000 in Alcine’s adopted hometown of Quebec could not prevent Santos, who was making his 12th world championship appearance, from exerting his considerable experience on Alcine, who was making his first title defense after winning the crown just one year ago.
The end came suddenly when Santos landed a devastating left hand in the sixth round that left the champion sprawled on the canvas where he was counted out by the referee at 2:10 into the round.
The Puerto Rican-born and -bred Santos (32-3-1, 23 KOs), an Olympic Games bronze-medal winner in 1996 that went on to defeat the likes of Antonio Margarito and “Yory Boy” Campas while claiming the World Boxing Organization welterweight and junior middleweight championships, believes this victory will propel him to greater heights.
“Alcine is a good fighter and I gave him a lot of respect,” Santos said, “but in the end my experience took me to victory. I do not believe there is anything I cannot achieve in the ring when I am prepared and focused, which I am right now.”
“My goal is to unify the division. I have earned the right to fight in elite, top-level matches. If a fighter like Oscar De La Hoya wants to fight, I’m ready. If a fighter at 160 pounds like Kelly Pavlik or Jermain Taylor wants to fight, I’m ready.”
Promoter Don King, who was sitting ringside watching his fighter in Montreal, was impressed with Santos’s performance.
“I thought Danny was sensational,” King said. “He reclaimed the glory of yesteryear by landing a rare and unique one-punch knockout of a champion. It proves that Danny is not only a great boxer but a powerful puncher to be reckoned with. Danny’s calling out everyone from Oscar De La Hoya to any world-title holder out there.”