Body shot. Body shot. Body shot. Goodnight.
Former two-time world champion Vic "Vicious" Saludar is the new WBO International minimumweight champion after stopping fellow Filipino Richard Garde in the fifth round at The Grand Ho Tram on Saturday night.
Saludar used his reach and jab to run the fight, then went downstairs. A left to the side, two more to the body, and the referee waved it off at 2:14 of round five.
That makes it 29-6 with 19 knockouts. And for the 36-year-old, that's eight straight wins.
Now here's the thing.
Saludar is rated No. 1 by the WBO. No. 2 by the WBA.
Last week the WBO belt changed hands without a punch being thrown. Oscar Collazo vacated, and Japan's Ryusei Matsumoto was elevated to full champion.
The No. 1 contender? Out here in Vietnam, doing his job, knocking people out.
So what more does he have to do ??
Two trips to The Grand Ho Tram this year — first-round KO in August, fifth-round stoppage on Saturday.
Matsumoto v Saludar. Make it happen !!
🇵🇭 VIC SALUDAR def. RICHARD GARDE 🇵🇭
🥊 TKO 5 (2:14) | Vacant WBO International minimumweight title
📍 The Grand Ho Tram, Vietnam | 7 November 2026
Also on the card — Danylo Honcharuk 🇺🇦 forced Jeo Santisima 🇵🇭 to retire on his stool after seven rounds, and unbeaten Balihenbeke Balihenbeke kept his WBO Oriental belt with a first-round KO of Marvin Esquierdo 🇵🇭.
Congratulations Vic — and to all fighters who took part !
December 24, 2024
Dear Partners,
I would like to take this moment to first wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season.
This annual report serves as a benchmark for our progress and a commitment to transparency in our operations. In 2024, a notable decline occurred in the number of professional boxing events held domestically. This downturn was primarily attributed to the cessation of grassroots events by VSP Promotions, a key promoter that played a crucial role in introducing new talent to the domestic professional boxing scene.
The challenges faced in organizing professional boxing events in Vietnam intensified in 2024 compared to the previous year, a reflection of the current market conditions. We anticipate this trend to persist in 2025 due to the continued existence of an unsupportive environment for event organizers, fostered by the local amateur boxing federation.
VBO organized the gathering of 10 commissions in Asia in 8/2024. It is our view that Asia has a fundamental challenge in how boxing is managed and supervised. Standardization and coherent cooperation models that have actionable and measurable outcomes will need to be developed in order to create more regional opportunities for the industry participants.
DOMESTIC REPORT 2024
INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2024
The VBO remains dedicated to securing international fight opportunities for Vietnamese boxers within safe environments. While the organization provides recommendations, the final decision to accept a fight rests solely with the boxers and their coaching teams.
OFFICIALS OF VBO REPORT 2024
VBO collects detailed performance data of each official in their assigned roles at every event. We compile these data for use towards training requirements to further improve their performance.
We hope that 2025 will bring more opportunities for the boxers between partnering countries and jointly continue to improve the quality of our officials. Have a wonderful holiday season! See you all in 2025.
Sincerely,
Lim Song
President of Vietnam Boxing Organization
