Monday afternoon noticed Showtime Boxing and Premier Boxing champions fill out the pay per view undercard for the Rey Vargas-O’Shaquie Foster WBC vacant junior light-weight battle for February eleventh in San Antonio’s Alamodome. And, that undercard may have a well-recognized named fighter within the co-feature and battle of up and coming heavyweights in a 3rd combat.
From the Showtime launch of the help bouts for the Vargs-Foster battle for the vacant WBC 130 lb. title,
The Showtime Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and in addition options former champion and all-action San Antonio-native Mario “El Azteca” Barrios, now educated by high coach Bob Santos, returning to the ring in a 10-round welterweight duel towards Jovanie Santiago that serves because the co-main occasion. Kicking off the motion, hard-hitting unbeaten heavyweights go toe-to-toe as Cuba’s Lenier Pero takes on Ukraine’s Viktor Faust in a 10-round attraction…
San Antonio native Barrios is again
The 27-year-old Barrios (26-2, 17 KOs) returns to the ring after difficult former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman in February 2022, dropping a call in a hard-fought conflict. The San Antonio-product, who now trains with Santos, a high coach, in Las Vegas, grew to become a 140-pound world champion in September 2019, utilizing his aggressive model to edge out Batyr Akhmedov and earn a unanimous determination. Barrios misplaced the tremendous light-weight title in one other motion packed, extremely aggressive bout, as he was defeated by three-division and five-time world champion Gervonta Davis in June 2021.
“Everybody is aware of I include every part I received once I step into the ring, and I’m excited to be again for this huge alternative on SHOWTIME,” stated Barrios. “I’m much more motivated realizing that I get to combat again at house in San Antonio and provides my folks an awesome combat. Everybody goes to see pure boxing leisure as I’ll be placing my abilities on show with dangerous intentions. I’ve confirmed that I’m a warrior each time I get into the ring and I’m bringing that very same vitality for Santiago.”
Born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico and now residing in Dorado, Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) impressed in his U.S. debut in February 2021 regardless of dropping a aggressive determination towards four-division champion Adrien Broner on SHOWTIME. The 31-year-old adopted that up in Could difficult high 140-pound contender Gary Antuanne Russell in a bout he misplaced by sixth-round stoppage. Previous to these fights, Santiago had received 4 of 5 contests by knockout, a streak that adopted a 10-round determination conquer DeMarcus Corley in 2017. Santiago’s solely blemish earlier than the Broner combat was a majority attract simply his third professional contest.
“That is going to be a really thrilling combat,” stated Santiago. “I’m able to go in there and throw numerous punches Barrios and I are each trying to bounce again from losses and present that we’re elite fighters. That’s going to make this an action-packed combat and I do know that I’ve every part it takes to go away with my hand raised. The followers in San Antonio can anticipate us to offer it our all from begin to end.”
Worldwide heavyweight prospects battle to begin the present
A 2016 Olympian from Camaguey, Cuba, Pero (8-0, 5 KOs) had an in depth and extremely profitable novice profession that spanned over 100 fights, together with a number of victories over countryman Frank Sanchez and efforts towards heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, heavyweight prospect Filip Hrgovic and Olympic Gold Medalist Bakhodir Jalolov. The 30-year-old now fights out of Miami, Fla., and made a profitable U.S. debut on New Yr’s Day 2022, defeating then-unbeaten Geovany Bruzon. He’s added two extra victories since then, most lately knocking out Joel Caudle in a bout streamed by way of the SHOWTIME Sports activities YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Fb web page in August.
“I’m actually wanting ahead to creating my SHOWTIME debut on February 11,” stated Pero. “Ever since I began boxing, I’ve been working towards my objective of changing into the primary Cuban heavyweight world champion. Faust is an efficient opponent, and that is by far the most important combat of my profession. A victory will skyrocket my profession and put me in an awesome place. I’m going to grab this second and produce house a victory for my folks in Cuba.”
Faust (11-0, 7 KOs) returns to combat within the U.S. after his final stateside outing noticed him interact in one in all 2022’s most unpredictable and fast-paced slugfests. The 30-year-old squared off with Iago Kiladze in January 2022 with each males hitting the canvas an astonishing 5 occasions mixed in lower than 5 minutes of motion earlier than the Ukrainian closed out the motion in spherical two to earn a TKO. Faust has adopted that up with determination wins over veteran title challenger Kevin Johnson in August and Franklin Lawrence in December earlier than he returns to combat within the U.S. for the third time.
“It is a nice alternative for me to point out off my skills within the U.S.,” stated Faust. “I’m particularly blissful to be again towards an awesome opponent like Pero. He was a superb novice, and I do know we’ll each be very assured heading into this combat. I’m going to win and present everybody that I’m able to do every part doable to succeed in my objective and change into world champion.”
In the meantime, the undefeated two-division world champion Vargas will battle high 130-pound contenderFoster for the vacant WBC junior light-weight crown in a showdown that headlines motion reside on Showtime Saturday, February 11 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, topping a Premier Boxing Champions occasion.
