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Opponents Announced For Tarver, Lacy Bouts

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By EDDIE DANIELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 13, 2007

TAMPA - Two local fighters have solidified opponents for their separate returns to the ring in December.

Tampa's Antonio Tarver, who was to fight Danny Green on Dec. 1 in a light-heavyweight bout, will now face Ocala's Danny Santiago (29-3-1, 19 KOs). St. Petersburg super middleweight Jeff Lacy, in his first bout since having surgery on his left shoulder, will face Peter Manfredo Jr. of "The Contender" fame on Dec. 8.

Tarver's original bout against Green, according to reports, fell apart because of contractual issues. Tarver (25-4, 18 KOs) and Santiago will fight at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., and will air on Showtime.

"It doesn't matter who shows up Dec. 1, we plan on seeking and destroying whoever's in front of us," Tarver said. "That's my mind-set, that's my attitude, that's what we plan on doing."

Lacy's last fight, on Dec. 2, 2006, was a 10-round majority decision over Vitali Tsypko. In that fight, Lacy (22-1, 17 KOs) tore his rotator cuff in the second round.

Manfredo (28-4, 13 KOs) is the former NABO junior middleweight champion and last fought in June, a unanimous-decision victory against David Banks.

Coincidentally, the last defeat suffered by both Lacy and Manfredo came at the hands of Joe Calzaghe in Cardiff, Wales. The two will fight on the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

On the same undercard will be Wauchula's Edner Cherry (22-5-2, 10 KOs) in a rematch against Wes Ferguson (17-2, 5 KOs), a fighter he beat in June at the A La Carte Event Pavilion by unanimous decision.

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.

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