Victorio Miranda Saludar (born 3 November 1990) is a Filipino

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

who held the WBO mini-flyweight title from 2018 to 2019 and the

WBA (Regular) The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxi ...

mini-flyweight title in 2021.

Amateur career

Saludar was a successful amateur. He's a six-time national amateur champion in the

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of b ...

division, and he won a bronze medal at the

2010 Asian Games The 2010 Asian Games (), officially known as the XVI Asian Games () and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (), was a regional multi-sport event celebrated from November 12 to November 27, 2010 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, although several events ...

, after losing in the semifinals to

Birzhan Zhakypov Birzhan Zhakypov (born July 7, 1984) is an amateur boxer from Kazakhstan, best known for winning the light flyweight gold medal at the 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships, 2013 World Amateur Boxing Championship. He qualified for the 2008 Olympi ...

. Saludar's two brothers are also boxers. Rey Saludar won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, and Froilan Saludar is a former world-title challenger.

Professional career

Early career

Saludar made his professional debut against Juanito Hundante on 13 July 2013, and won the fight by a first-round technical knockout. He amassed an 11-1 record during the next two years, most notably defeating Rizky Pratama by a first-round technical knockout to win the vacant WBO Asia Pacific mini-flyweight title.

WBO mini flyweight champion

Saludar was scheduled to challenge the reigning WBO mini flyweight champion Ryuya Yamanaka, in the latter's second title defense. The fight was scheduled for 13 July 2018, to be contested at the Central Gym in

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

, Japan. Saludar was at the time the #3 ranked WBO mini flyweight contender. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 116-111, 117-110 and 115-112. Saludar knocked Yamanaka with a straight right in the seventh round and had, by the end of the bout, opened a cut above Yamanaka's left eye. Saludar made his first WBO mini flyweight title defense against

Masataka Taniguchi is a Japanese professional boxer who held the WBO mini-flyweight title from 2021 to 2023. As of June 2022, he is ranked as the world's fourth best mini-flyweight by BoxRec, '' The Ring'' and TBRB. Professional career Early career Career beg ...

on 26 February 2019, at the

Korakuen Hall is a famous sports arena in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan, which has hosted many notable boxing, professional wrestling, kickboxing, mixed martial arts and Lethwei matches. History On April 16, 1962, the Korakuen Hall was officially opened with ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan. He won the fight by a wide unanimous decision, with two judges scoring the fight 117-111 in his favor, while the third judge awarded him a 118-110 scorecard. Saludar made his second WBO title defense against

Wilfredo Méndez Wilfredo Méndez (born 10 November 1996) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer who held the WBO mini flyweight title between August 2019 to December 2021. As of September 2021, he was ranked as the fourth best strawweight in the world by TBRB a ...

on 24 August 2019, at the

Puerto Rico Convention Center The Dr. Pedro Rosselló González Puerto Rico Convention Center (PRCC) (or ''Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico Dr. Pedro Rosselló González'' in Spanish), or simply Puerto Rico Convention Center, is a convention center located in Isla Gr ...

in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Saludar was seen as the favorite to retain the title when the bout was first scheduled. Saludar entered the bout without his usual cornermen, as his coach Jojo Palacios was unable to secure a working visa, while his manager Kenneth Rondal was forced to stay in the Philippines due to his father's recent brain surgery. Mendez won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 117-110, 115-112, 116-111.

WBA Regular champion

Saludar was scheduled to face Mike Kinaadman in his first post-title fight on 21 December 2019, and was held at the Enan Chiong Activity Center in

Naga Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...

, Philippines. He suffered a flash knockdown in the first round, but quickly rebounded to stop Kinaadman by knockout in the sixth round. Saludar was scheduled to face Robert Paradero for the vacant WBA Regular mini-flyweight title on 19 February 2021, at the

Biñan Football Stadium The Biñan Football Stadium is a track and field and football venue in Biñan, Laguna, Philippines. On October 28, 2015, the Biñan city government and the Philippine Football Federation signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing that the ...

Biñan Biñan (), officially the City of Biñan ( fil, Lungsod ng Biñan), is a 1st class component city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 407,437 people. Biñan, also known as Biniang, has ...

, Philippines. The fight was originally planned for 26 September 2020, in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

, but was eventually pushed back due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Saludar won the fight by split decision, with two judges awarding Saludar 115-113 and 116-112 scorecards, while the third judge score the bout 118-110 for Paradero. On 30 August 2021, the WBA ordered Saludar to face the number 1 ranked mini flyweight contender Erick Rosa in a mandatory title fight. The two of them were given 30 days to negotiate the terms of the bout, before it would head to a purse bid. They came to terms on 9 September, and announced the fight for 9 December 2021, to be held in

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

, Dominican Republic. The fight was later postponed for 21 December 2021 Saludar lost the fight by split decision, with scores of 109-116, 112-113 and 113-112.

Later mini flyweight career

Saludar faced Oscar Collazo in a WBA mini-flyweight title eliminator on the undercard of the

Javier Fortuna Javier Fortuna Francisco (born July 15, 1989) is a Dominican professional boxer. He held the WBA interim featherweight title from 2012 to 2013, the WBA (Regular) super featherweight title from 2015 to 2016, and challenged for the IBF lightwe ...

lightweight bout, which took place on 16 July 2022. He lost the fight by unanimous decision, with score of 116–112, 116–112 and 118–110. Saludar faced Ariston Aton for the vacant Asian Boxing Federation minimumweight title on 21 December 2021. He captured the vacant belt by a seventh-round knockout.

Professional boxing record

Personal life

Saludar has a wife named Jonalyn. He also has a son and a daughter.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saludar, Vic 1990 births Living people Filipino male boxers Boxers from South Cotabato World mini-flyweight boxing champions World Boxing Association champions World Boxing Organization champions Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games Asian Games bronze medalists for the Philippines Boxers at the 2010 Asian Games Asian Games medalists in boxing