Santiago Remains Unblemished - stops Garcia in seven.
by George Elsasser

The Sho-Box FNF finale for this year 2006, pitted southpaw featherweight  Mario Santiago and Salvador Garcia in what resulted in a mega mismatch to close the road show with - the outsized Garcia corner finally tossed the towel in at 1:51 of stanza seven.

Santiago remains unblemished at a now 17-0, 12 KO’s with Garcia dropping to 14-4-2, 7 KO’s - and off this outing pretty much qualifies at still young 27 a career "opponent."

Tough and game as he showed, all the advantages arrived from the other corner with Santiago finding the target with big left hands to the head and bursts of combinations that went body to head - only question was how long this one would go.

The impressive offense from age 28 Santiago, should improve his spot in the feather rankings but is still a work in progress - helped he faced a fading Garcia that was pretty much clueless from stanzas two thru the merciful towel tossing in number seven.

Post Scripts: Mario Santiago ~ southpaw willing to engage in trenches - tall at 5-7 was effective backing a jab with long straight left hands. Jury not as yet sequestered -  needs crash course on using the outside game to go with the port side edge.
                         Salvador Garcia ~ admire the courage but the corner should include boxing basics for the 5-5 tall featherweight - the offense was strictly wild arm punches with Hail Mary written on it.

                       Referee John Schorle - once showed promise as third man in charge - then some favorable ink, and the schmuck sees celebrity in the mirror when shaving.  Fits in nicely with the other left coast frauds, that have mastered a choreography identity while missing the vitals. Young bad John left the stoppage to the slow reacting Garcia corner.

GEL -