US veteran Vernon Forrest will risk his World Boxing Council (WBC) light middleweight crown against Italy's Michele Piccirillo in the feature of three major 12-round fights today.
The showdown of former world welterweight champions gives the European fighter another chance at a title in the division. He lost a 12-round decision to Nicaragua's Ricardo Mayorga for the vacant WBC throne in 2005.
"It will be a tough fight for me, but it will be a tough fight for Vernon too," Piccirillo said. "I will come to put on a good performance. I have been training hard for this shot. It will be a difficult fight but a very good one."
Forrest, 39-2 with 28 knockouts, beat Argentina's Carlos Baldomir in July for the WBC crown and makes his first title defense against Piccirillo, 48-3 with 30 knockouts.
"This is a very tough fight and a very tough fighter," Forrest said. "He fights similar to how I fight. I'm looking forward to putting on a spectacular performance. I'll be prepared for whatever he brings."
Forrest beat Piccirillo as an amateur at the World Championships and has studied his newer moves as well.
"I pretty much know what this guy's going to do. He's a very, very skilled fighter. But we all have certain habits. I've studied his. I'll make him do what I him want to do. I'm always looking to make a statement," Forrest said.
Philippines star boxer Nonito Donaire, 18-1 with 11 knockouts, defends his International Boxing Federation flyweight title against Mexican Luis Maldonado, 37-1-1 with 28 knockouts, in another first-defense feature.
The "Filipino Flash" stopped Armenian Vic Darchinyan in July to claim the crown and has won 17 in a row since his lone professional loss came in 2003.
"I'll do what I can to take Maldonado out," Donaire said.
Also on the card is an all-US light heavyweight showdown between Antonio Tarver, 25-4 with 18 knockouts, and Danny Santiago, 29-3 with one drawn and 19 knockouts.
Tarver lost to Bernard Hopkins last year but bounced back in June by beating Albania's Elvir Muriqi. Santiago lost his most recent bout to Hungary's Zsolt Erdei in January.
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