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Showtime Boxing Countdown Live Streaming Show To Feature
Former Titleholder, Olympic Medalist, Pan American Champion
& More This Sat., Feb. 11
A lineup of talented fighters, including a former
titleholder, Olympic bronze medalist, Pan American gold
medalist and a highly touted prospect in his pro debut, will
highlight a four-bout streaming presentation on the SHOWTIME
Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page
this Saturday, February 11 in a Premier Boxing Champions
event from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
The SHOWTIME BOXING COUNTDOWN show, which will be hosted by
Luke Thomas, one-half of the award-winning MORNING KOMBAT
live digital talk show, starts at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT
and is topped by former titleholder Claudio Marrero battling
Las Vegas’ Gonzalo Fuenzalida in an eight-round lightweight
bout. Unbeaten Filipino Olympic bronze medalist Eumir
Marcial will take on veteran Ricardo Villalba in an
eight-round middleweight scrap.
Additionally, the heavy-handed heavyweight Dainier Peró,
younger brother of unbeaten Lenier Peró, will clash with
Daniel Zavala over four rounds, while blue-chip prospect
David Whitmire makes his pro debut against Texan Keith
Foreman in a four-round super welterweight duel.
The live streaming fights will precede the SHOWTIME
CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
headlined by two-division world champion Rey Vargas battling
top contender O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant WBC Super
Featherweight World Championship.
A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Marrero
(26-5, 18 KOs) enters the fight having won back-to-back
contests, including most recently earning a decision victory
over the then-unbeaten Viktor Slavinskyi in February 2022.
The 33-year-old owns impressive first-round knockouts of
previously unbeaten contenders Carlos Zambrano and Jorge
Lara and also a stoppage of former champion Rico Ramos in
three rounds. His win over Zambrano earned him the Interim
WBA Featherweight Title. He will be opposed by the
26-year-old Fuenzalida (12-1, 3 KOs) who is originally from
Chile but now fights out of Las Vegas. Fuenzalida has won
seven-straight bouts heading into Saturday night, including
a successful U.S. debut in September of last year that saw
him defeat Joseph Francisco.
Marcial (3-0, 1 KO) won a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics
representing his native Philippines and has had all three of
his pro fights take place stateside. The 27-year-old showed
his power in an April clash against Isiah Hart, rising off
the canvas to stop his opponent in round four. Most
recently, Marcial went six rounds for the first time as a
pro, earning a unanimous decision over Steven Pichardo last
October. He duels Argentina’s Villalba (20-7-1, 8 KOs), who
dropped his U.S. debut in December via decision against the
unbeaten prospect Micky Scala.
The younger brother of fellow Cuban standout Lenier, Pero
(2-0, 2 KOs) now resides in Miami, Fla., and turned pro in
December 2022 with a first-round KO of Deane Williams. The
23-year-old followed that up with another first-round
stoppage, as he blasted out Benjerman Baker on January 14.
He takes on the Del Rio, Texas-native Zavala (2-1-2), who
fought five times in 2022 after turning pro in February. The
32-year-old most recently dropped a majority decision to the
unbeaten Rudy Silvas in December.
A 17-year-old phenom set to turn pro after a strong amateur
career, Whitmire is trained by former veteran title
contender Andrew Council. The Washington, D.C. native earned
the “Bodysnatcher” moniker during his amateur run and will
look to impress in his first pro fight. He’ll battle the
Waco, Texas born Foreman (0-0, 1 NC) who turned pro last
September in a fight that was later ruled a no-decision.
The non-televised undercard will also include unbeaten
prospect Fabian Diaz (3-0, 1 KO) in a four-round lightweight
duel against Eleazar Mendietta (0-1), plus the four-round
pro debuts of two light heavyweight San Antonio-natives as
Manuel Sifuentes takes on Mexico’s Jesus Aguilar (0-1) while
James Wohlschlegel faces Daniel Heinen (0-1).
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