Friday, February 10, 2023

Boxing Challenge

  Showtime controls the boxing weekend with a main event that will fill the vacated title for the WBC at junior lightweight that was left empty when Shakur Stevenson failed to make weight against Robson Conceicao.

Current WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas will meet O'Shaquie Foster in San Antonio with Vargas making a decision on which title he will retain should he win.

Vargas won the featherweight crown in his last outing with a mild upset of Mark Magsayo via a split decision in San Antonio last July while Foster has tried to stay busy after his best win over Miguel Roman in 2020 with a ninth-round knockout.

I'm not sure how much action this fight might have as neither man is known for punching power and Foster strikes me as a fighter that hung around (Foster has been a pro for eleven years) long enough to finally have a shot at a title but might be a level below championship caliber.

The co-feature is a welterweight pairing between Mario Barrios and Jovanie Santiago with neither being able to afford a defeat.

Barrios has lost his last two fights, losing by KO to Gervonta Davis and a unanimous decision to Keith Thurman last February but Santiago isn't anywhere near the quality of Davis and Thurman so a loss for Barrios would drop him to non-contender status.

Santiago also has lost his two recent fights to a past-his-prime Adrien Broner and by knockout to Gary Antuanne Russell and isn't quite world-class even at his best.

Still. Santiago won the fight vs Broner on my card, so a win here could save his career as more than an opponent.

Vacant WBC Junior Lightweight Title 12 Rds
Rey Vargas vs O'Shaquie Foster
Ramon Malpica and Vince Samano; Foster Unanimous Decision
TRS: Vargas Unanimous Decision

Welterweights 10 Rds
Mario Barrios vs Jovanie Santiago
R.L: Barrios Unanimous Decison
TRS: Barrios KO 8
V.S:  Santiago Unanimous Decision

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