Abass Baraou Expects ‘A Crackin Fight’ Against Giovani Santillan on Friday Night

Boxing returns to the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, as ProBox TV hosts a fight card headlined by former WBA junior middleweight champion Abass Baraou (17-2, 9 KOs) taking on Giovani Santillan (35-1, 18 KOs).

If the name Abass Baraou sounds familiar, it’s because a little over a year ago he scored an upset unanimous decision over Yoenis Tellez, becoming the WBA interim junior middleweight champion. He was later elevated to full champion and became the guy with a target on his back.

Not wanting to waste any time and to maximize his newly earned WBA title, Baraou went out and tested himself against Xander Zayas in January. It was a risk to go straight into a three-belt unification fight instead of a voluntary or mandatory defense, but it was an opportunity Baraou felt he couldn’t pass up, especially since he didn’t have a promoter at the time.

“It was a big step for me to become a world champion,” Baraou told FightsATW. “I was with no promoter and wanted the next big fight. Before the title, I was struggling to get fights. I felt like the door was open for the next big thing, which was a unification [with Xander Zayas]. It was a great challenge and opportunity. I learned a lot. Those were the two highest fights [Tellez & Zayas] of my career. They helped me grow, and now I’m more motivated to explore my opportunities and keep the foot on the gas.”

After the Zayas fight, Baraou knew that if he wanted to continue his career, he needed a promoter who believed in him. Enter Top Rank. In August, the promotional company announced they had signed Baraou, and he felt the deal was the right one for him, given his past experience with them.

“Going into the last fight, I went in with no promoter, so it was important for me and my manager to set up a good base and look for a promoter that believed in us,” he said. “I saw Top Rank operate in Puerto Rico, and they were very professional. For them to see the potential in me, I felt like it was the right step for me to do.”

Although things didn’t go his way in the Zayas fight, Baraou said he felt well prepared and that he didn’t need to change teams, meaning he’ll stick with trainer George Rubio in Miami. On Friday, Baraou will once again be in a tough fight, as Santillan will have the home crowd behind him and likes to fight on the front foot. With Baraou having a similar style, this fight has all the makings of a back-and-forth battle.

So what will the fans expect on fight night? “They can expect a crackin’ fight and an outstanding performance from me. It’s going to be an amazing fight for fans to watch.”

Baraou vs Santillan isn’t going to break any viewership records on ProBoxTV (YouTube), but for the hardcore fans who follow the sport, it will deliver the pound of flesh they often crave. Whoever wins this fight on Friday night will likely be one fight away from a title shot, so there is a lot riding on this one.

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is a 2x award-winning writer, International Boxing Hall of Fame voter, founder and publisher of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms, including online, network TV, and promotional companies. He is an alumnus of an American Public University and a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, and contributed to The Ring Magazine, FanSidedMMA, and ProBoxTV.

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