Premier Boxing Champions 2016: Fight Card and TV Schedule for February 16
On Tuesday, February 16, bantamweight hopeful Alexis Santiago (20-3-1, 8 KO) will take on Erik Ruiz (15-4, 6 KO) in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions broadcast on Fox Sports 1. Here's a look at the viewing information for the 118-pound battle.
When: Tuesday, February 16 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Sam's Town Live in Las Vegas
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TV: Fox Sports 1
Quite honestly, this is going to be a scrap that only appeals to the most hardcore boxing fan. It not only features fighters from one of the lower weight classes—which American fans all but ignore in most cases—it's also a fight without a true headline name.
The 25-year-old Santiago is the most well-known of the two, but he's not among the top 10 bantamweights in Ring Magazine's latest rankings. He's ranked No. 52 in the weight class, according to the IBO. It's possible a win over Ruiz could put Santiago in the top 10 in the WBA, and that could potentially set him up with a title fight against that governing body's champion Juan Carlos Payano.
The latter has already appeared on PBC programming, so the negotiations and matchmaking shouldn't be a major issue. In Santiago's last bout, he won an eight-round unanimous decision over Gustavo Molina. Santiago has won nine fights in a row since losing a unanimous decision to Roman Morales in 2012.
Per Lem Satterfield of Premier Boxing Champions, Santiago believes he has prepared well for his opponent.
“We had a sparring partner who was coming forward and throwing a lot of punches right in front of us. That way we’ll be ready for [Ruiz’s] pressure and everything he has coming for us,” says Santiago. “We had the other [sparring partner] who can box real good, so if Ruiz decides to do that, we’ll be ready for both.”
That doesn't sound like the most technical preparation, but this may not be a technical fight. Santiago has the ability to brawl. While he has only a modest KO total in his career, previous fights have revealed a warrior-like mentality.
Ruiz is a tough and gritty fighter. The 23-year-old hails from Oxnard, California and he's trained by the legendary Robert Garcia. Almost every fighter who comes from Garcia's gym brings a certain level of ruggedness. Ruiz is no exception.
He has however failed to win whenever the level of competition has been raised. Back in January 2015, he got an opportunity to face the highly regarded Jessie Magdaleno. Ruiz lost a lopsided unanimous decision in that bout.
He has split the four fights he's had since then. Beating Santiago in a televised main event would be a special moment for him. This one figures to go the distance with both fighters dishing out some punishment. If you're looking for a good scrap where name recognition is secondary to action, this is one you'll want to see.
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