Boxing Results: Mario Barrios Snaps Two Fight Losing Streak With Win Over Santiago

By Boxing News - 02/12/2023 - Comments

By Vince D’Writer: The co-main event on Showtime Boxing’s Rey Vargas- O’Shaquie Foster card featured two welterweights who were both in desperate need of a win, as Mario Barrios scored an impressive 8th round TKO victory over Jovanie Santiago (14-3-1, 10 KOs) at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Coming into the February 11th bout, both Mario Barrios and Jovanie Santiago entered the contest riding two fight losing streaks. Barrios loss consecutive bouts to Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman, while Santiago suffered back-to-back losses against Adrien Broner and Gary Antuanne Russell.

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In the opening round of the bout, Barrios came out applying pressure and controlling the distance by utilizing a sharp jab. Near the end of the first round, Santiago had a moment of success when he was able to get inside and land a few shots to the body.

For the next couple of rounds, both Barrios and Santiago attempted to establish a consistent body attack. At the midway point of the fight, Mario Barrios seemed to gradually take control as he would routinely use his jab to set up the right hand.

Barrios had a big sixth round as he started the round by landing a hard right hand, and then he proceeded to hit Santiago with a flurry of shots. At the halfway point of the round, Barrios was working the left hand as he landed a left hook to the body and followed it up with a left hook to the head. At the conclusion of the round, Mario Barrios outlanded Jovanie Santiago twenty-seven to six.

In the seventh round Barrios continued to systematically break down his opponent as he landed a big right hand that staggered Santiago. The resilient Santiago was able to stay on his feet and absorb a great deal of punishment through seven rounds, but his luck would run out in the eighth.

Santiago would finally go down about a minute into the eighth round after getting hit by a left hook to the body. The determined Santiago was able to get up, but after seeing his fighter get hit with another flurry of shots, Santiago’s trainer decided to stop the fight.

The 27-year-old Mario Barrios (27-2, 18 KOs) was able to snap his losing streak by putting on an impressive performance. Now that Barrios has gotten that proverbial monkey off his back, he’s ready to focus on the next step of his boxing journey.

“The future looks bright for us and I’m real excited for the next few years.” Barrios went on to state, “I had to get physical. That’s one thing we worked on in the gym. I knew Santiago was coming with it, he took this fight in my backyard. That says a lot about him. He’s a hell of a warrior, I tip my hat to him, but I came in here and took care of business.”