Boxing Press Conference: Tarver, Santiago, Forrest & Donaire

ByJim Everett

NY Press Conference: Showtime Closes the Season with a Triple-Header

**With Slideshow**

Click for larger image © Jim Everett / Saddo Boxing

Yesterday at the famous Gallagher’s Steakhouse in New York City, Gary Shaw Productions and Showtime held a final press conference to promote their triple-header to close out the 2007 season on Showtime Championship Boxing, Saturday December 1 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.

The main event will feature Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver 25-4 (18) defending his IBO Light Heavyweight Championship against Danny Santiago 29-3-1 (19).

Santiago is coming off a TKO loss earlier this year to Zsolt Erdei for the WBO Light Heavyweight Title where he was down twice before the eighth round stoppage. Although his bout with Erdei was a title fight it is Tarver that he has been looking forward to facing, “It is an honor and privilege to be fighting Antonio Tarver, I have been following him since I was 17 years old, what else is there that you can say about him, he’s done it all.”

Even with his high level of respect for Tarver, Santiago is using his admiration to motivate him for his showdown with the “Magic Man”. “I’m trying to get to where he’s at and Saturday is the first day for me to fulfill my dreams,” said the challenger. “I’m going to go out on Saturday and give the best that God has given me to do.”

Tarver compared this triple-header championship event to a previous night in his career, “I remember the last time Vernon and I shared a stage where he conquered Shane Mosley and I went on to conquer Eric Harding, if we can put on the performances we did on that night then Foxwoods is in store for a heck of a night on Saturday.”

“Everybody knows my ability, my skills, I don’t have to continue to promote or market that, I think everybody knows that I’m a heck of a fighter and I have proven that over the years but today I’m at my best,” said a confident Tarver. “I know at 39 a lot of people may doubt that but it’s up to me to go out and prove that and on Saturday night I will give the people another glimpse of the Magic Man at his finest.”

The second bout of the triple-header card will feature Vernon “The Viper” Forrest 39-2 (28) defending his WBC Super Welterweight Championship against Michele Piccirillo 48-3 (30).

Two-time Welterweight champion Forrest recently obtained the WBC strap in the Super Welterweight division by defeating Carlos Baldomir by unanimous decision in July and is not taking his first defense lightly. “This is a very tough fight, and a very tough fighter, Piccirillo fights similar to how I do, so it’s almost a mirror match.”

The televised opener for Showtime’s triple-header will feature “The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire18-1 (11) defending his IBF & IBO Flyweight Championship against Luis Maldonado 37-1-1 (28).

“The Filipino Flash” recently won his titles with a TKO victory over then champion Vic Darchinyan. “There are a lot of things that I still need to prove,” said Donaire of his fight with Darchinyan. “That one-punch people say that it’s a lucky punch or a one-hit wonder and I still have a lot to prove.”

Proving that he is more than a one-punch wonder is something Donaire plans to do on Saturday. “Maldonado is a tough guy he is going to be in my face all the time, for me that is how Darchinyan was; we came up with a game plan and we will always come up with another game plan with whatever he comes up with, I will do whatever I can to take him out.”