On Saturday, Showtime will present a four-bout free-streaming presentation on its YouTube channel and Boxing Facebook page as a prelude to the Showtime Championship Boxing broadcast from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Showtime Boxing Countdown show is topped by Claudio Marrero of the Dominican Republic battling Las Vegas’ Gonzalo Fuenzalida in an eight-round lightweight bout... Filipino Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial will take on veteran Ricardo Villalba in an eight-round middleweight scrap... heavyweight Dainier Peró, younger brother of unbeaten Lenier Peró, will clash with Daniel Zavala over four rounds and David Whitmire makes his pro debut against Texan Keith Foreman in a four-round junior middleweight duel. The streaming broadcast 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
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 O’Shaquie Foster for the vacant WBC super featherweight title. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are on sale now and are available through Ticketmaster.com.
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 then-unbeaten Viktor Slavinskyi in February 2022. The 33-year old owns 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 belt. He will be opposed by 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 heading into Saturday, including his U.S. debut in September of last year that saw him defeat Joseph Francisco.
Marcial (3-1 including the World Series of Boxing) 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.
From Cuba, Daineier Pero (2-0, 2 KOs) now resides in Miami 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 14th. 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 prospect set to turn pro after a strong amateur career, Whitmire is trained by former 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.
ADDITIONAL BOUTS
The non-televised undercard will also include 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).
